The Commitment 2: Family
by Norwesterner
Summary: While WALL•E and EVE have found their 'happily ever after' within their Commitment to each other . . . they find that things still can be filled with challenge, even adventure, as well as with warmth. 01 October 2011 Update - Delays but work continues.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Introduction_

_To my surprise, WALL•E — The Commitment: An Alternate Direction, has continued to attract new readers, new 'faves' and more in the seven months now since its completion, far more than my other stories have._

_A number of you have asked for more here, especially about the family that WALL•E and EVE came to have in the Bonus section of that story. Having largely skipped over how their family came to be to tell of WALL•E and EVE's 500th Anniversary, the thought occurred to go back and tell the story of their family . . . or at least the heart of it — as I don't know if you'd want to read, or I'd have time to write, about all 500 years of life in WALL•E and EVE's household! WALL•E Director Andrew Stanton advised in the Director's Commentary on the WALL•E DVD to always write a story with the end in mind. I've drafted five chapters here (along with bits of others) before deciding to publish this, but I honestly don't know how this story is going to end right now. I know basically where this story is going . . . and there have already been some surprises, even to me, along the way. But amid the adventure, romance, and heartwarming love and growth that's emerging so far, and unlike the clear-cut quest EVE pursued in the last story here . . . I don't quite know how, or when, this particular story will wind up._

_Remember also, this is an alternate timeline . . . if STAR TREK can now have more than one timeline, so can WALL•E and EVE! I am still making it true to the movie however, so look for some satisfying links and surprises through this story._

_As always, I am grateful to Disney•Pixar for creating the characters in the movie of WALL•E._

_So, just make sure you've seen the movie, and read The Commitment (. . . as it's really kind of key to this story that you do!) . . . and then enjoy seeing just how EVE and WALL•E came to have a family, and what they, and the Axiom community around them, do together . . ._

_Enjoy,_

— _Norwesterner_

* * *

The stars.

He could stare at them all day, even from the moon he was now sitting on . . . except for one distraction. A pleasant distraction that was now taking his hand again.

"WALL•E," he felt her say.

"Eee-vaah . . ." he vibrated to her through his arm in return. "Look . . . starrs," he said as he pointed to them with his free hand.

"Yes," she agreed as she looked again with him up towards them.

They had seen the stars so much together in the journey that was their honeymoon. But as much as EVE now shared her partner's joy in looking at the stars in their full brilliance, undiminished by an atmosphere — she had something else she enjoyed more.

"Rather look you," she vibrated to him through their linked hands.

"Awww . . ." he replied, swiveling his optics to gaze at her now.

EVE just giggled. WALL•E enjoyed sensing that special sequence of vibrations from her. He looked at his hand in hers . . . the link they had discovered to hearing each other in the vacuum of space. At first he thought she could hear him . . . after all, he could hear himself internally whenever he said something. But after a while of space excursions, WALL•E thought EVE must be malfunctioning when she gestured and her eye forms changed, but no sound was being picked up by his onboard microphones. He came to realize this problem had in fact had always existed for them when they were in space, even during their first dance around the _Axiom_ . . . he was just far too preoccupied with her to notice that he wasn't hearing her voice at the time.

EVE had been thinking that WALL•E had been malfunctioning when they were in space, too, having 'heard' herself speak internally. She would check and run diagnostics on him virtually each time they returned inside their ARV's cockpit, only to find his speakers and associated systems were functioning perfectly. WALL•E never minded her checking and fussing over him after their extra-vehicular excursions though. He just thought it was EVE's way of lovingly caring for him. He came to relish her extra attentions . . . even coming to open his access panels automatically upon their return from trips outside before she could ask him to.

It had just become a mystery to the two of them for a while, as they could hear each other fine inside the pressurized cockpit of their ARV . . . but then kept wondering why the other was failing to speak in open space. They had each just never been exposed to the fact that sound doesn't travel in the vacuum of space.

Something finally happened once though, when EVE grabbed a seemingly confused WALL•E floating in space one day, trying to convince him to come back to their ARV and rest.

". . . WALL•E, home," he suddenly felt her say.

"Therre you arre!" he responded back. "Hear you now."

"What?" she replied. "Can barely hear you . . . through a fin??" EVE puzzled, more to herself than him. Then she had an idea. "WALL•E, speak louder . . . also tie in and amplify audio feed to arm control inputs."

"Huh??" he asked, confused.

"Link audio output to arm control inputs, and boost audio volume," she repeated, as she made a similar connection within her own systems. "EVE hear you better . . . when in space, that way. Please. Solves malfunction."

"Ohh," he realized, now suddenly comprehending her far more clearly through his hand and arm as they floated near their ARV. "Howw thiss?" he now vibrated through his arms and his entire cube as much as spoke through his speakers.

"Yes," EVE simply replied as she hugged him all the tighter to hear him better . . . as if she really needed yet another reason to.

WALL•E just relaxed in her embrace, emitting a soft but steady vibration now.

"Sigh, correct?" EVE queried him happily, just confirming she was reading his vibrations properly now.

"Yess . . . Eev-aah," he blissfully replied, as they now gently rolled together in space, going nowhere in particular.

Now, even space was no longer a barrier to shared understanding, even harmony, between them . . . as if it ever really was.

— — — — —

EVE had gone on to pilot them on a cruise through much of the outer Solar System . . . exploring a number of asteroids, moons, even a passing comet. When it came to the rings of Saturn though, WALL•E insisted through repeated skimming gestures that EVE fly them right against the rings from underneath. But EVE just was not getting his intent.

"'Scuse," he finally said, gently elbowing her aside from the main pilot's panel, and especially the joy stick he had now seen her use many times.

At first, WALL•E lurched the ARV about, over-compensating again and again as he gripped the joy stick . . . even accidentally punching a hole through one of the rings with the ship, as the sound of icy particles grated around the hull.

"WALL•E!" EVE sternly warned, still not understanding just what he was trying to do.

He held up a finger, getting EVE to just pause as he gently submerged the ARV beneath the ring again, finally beginning to get the hang of maneuvering it.

"Rright herre," he finally said, hitting the 'Auto Pilot' button when he had the ship just where he wanted it. "Outside," he now said, turning to her and pointing at the hatch.

EVE compliantly initiated the cabin depressurization sequence, sighing and shaking her head.

"Sit on hull," WALL•E requested as the last of the cockpit's atmosphere was removed.

EVE was still thoroughly confused by what he was asking her to do, and why. But she did as he asked.

Upon exiting out the side of the ARV's cockpit with EVE once again cradling him within her fins, WALL•E pointed, gesturing for EVE to take them to the upper side of the cockpit that was now positioned just underneath the ring.

If WALL•E could smile, even grin . . . he would have at this point. He did his best to though, with his optics, almost bouncing and clapping with eager anticipation within EVE's fins. His systems just surged with joy as he was about to show EVE a delight he had experienced once before.

He now raised a hand to stop her as he now reached to anchor them to a rung of the ship's external ladder with one hand.

"Look," he simply vibrated to her as he raised just a finger of his other hand to start tracing a line in the ring as they and the ship continued to move beneath it. "Look . . . behind," he invited as their heads together started to swivel from looking up at the ring to the swirl of frozen particles WALL•E's finger was creating behind them.

"Ooo-ooo . . ." EVE vibrated to him with a degree of wonder in her distinctive, two-tone way.

"You do," WALL•E vibrated back to her as he pulled his hand back from the ring.

EVE now tentatively raised a finger into the ring, marveling at the path she began to make amid the particles, and turning to look behind them as she made her own swirl.

"WALL•E . . ." EVE sighed in vibration to him as she hugged him with both fins again. "Thank you . . . sorry doubted you."

"Trrust," he assured, gently patting her fin wrapped around him with his free hand.

"Yes, trust," she agreed, ". . . still learning."

WALL•E turned his optics to look at her. "Eev-aah good," he assured as he moved them to gently touch and nuzzle against her visor. EVE of course gave him a spark-kiss . . . a good long one.

She relished now feeling his happy warble in reply.

"Let go of ship," she then invited.

WALL•E drew his optics back, and looked at her with uncertainty.

"Trust," she encouraged. WALL•E then let go of his grip on the ship's ladder, and they floated up into, and even through, the ring. They began gently waltzing amid the ring of frozen bits of rock and ice. EVE saw the gently wavy pattern they were leaving behind them within the ring as they moved through it.

Then she had an idea . . .

A little later, as they left Saturn to return to the brighter and warmer inner reaches of the Solar System, it was EVE's turn to get WALL•E to look out the window this time, as she maneuvered the ARV around for one more pass by the rings.

_Eve + Wall-e forever_

. . . was now neatly written in large, flowing script within one of Saturn's rings.

WALL•E just turned his body and hugged EVE tightly as he continued to gaze with her out the cockpit window.

Then he turned to look at her, wanting to share something with her now that they were safely back inside the ARV, and could hear each other properly again. Something that had concerned, even troubled him, as he remembered some of their past together at times.

"Eev-aah," he just said, ". . . WALL•E with Eev-aah foreverr . . . Love Eev-aah foreverr . . . no matter what. If anything everr happen . . . like beforre . . . never miss mmee . . . okayy? WALL•E always nearr . . . WALL•E in youu . . . even now."

"No . . ." she gently disagreed as she looked at him. "Been there. Missed you . . . badly. Would miss you again. It what love mean . . . to me. No miss . . . no love."

WALL•E couldn't disagree with her. "Would miss Eev-aah, too," he sighed.

"Take care each other," she reassured him as she now held him tightly. "Brought you back . . . keep you safe now. Live . . . love . . . together, forever. Just will."

"If not," she added, " . . . bring you back again . . . or find way to join you."

"Eev-aah," he said sadly in concern, now caressing the side of her head with a hand, knowing what she meant with that last comment.

"My choice," she said as her eye forms now looked into his optics, " . . . be with you . . . go with you . . . forever."

"My choice . . . foreverr, too," he agreed and pledged to her as well.

Embracing each other tightly, they turned once again to look out the window at the pledge they had traced together in one of Saturn's rings. With her knowledge base of planetary physics, EVE realized their message might well disappear as the pull of gravity and grinding action of the particles would likely smooth out the ring and the disturbances they had made over time. But what they had written together would remain there, for all the Universe to see, for a while.

EVE then reached behind WALL•E and turned the ship with one fin and broke out of orbit. "Let's go someplace warm . . . and sunny . . . for you," she invited. "But for now . . . let's give you further charge . . . from my source, to yours . . ." as she reached for a pair of jumper cables they'd stashed in a nearby locker.

WALL•E had never felt so cared for . . . so loved . . . in his long life, or lives as EVE fed him power now direct to his battery terminal, at just the right level, from a port near her inexhaustible small reactor. She just looked at him . . . openly and lovingly as she gave him some of her own power. He just closed his optics and rested them beneath her head as they held each other.

It could not get any better than this . . . it just couldn't.

— — — — —

But now, they were sunning themselves on a moon again. This time Phobos, in orbit around Mars . . . it just provided a better, and constant view of the stars, compared to what they had experienced on the Martian surface.

"EVE need rest onboard ARV," she vibrated to his hand a while later after enjoying the stars and the moon's bright surface some more. "Need rest free of sand."

"Let's rest . . . in space," he suggested, ". . . hold each other."

EVE sighed happily as she picked up WALL•E and flew him back across the moon's surface to their ARV. She didn't think it could get any better than this, either.

Arriving with him back inside their ARV's cockpit, and re-pressurizing the compartment, EVE noticed a blinking button on the Comm panel.

She tapped it and a holoscreen emerged, with 'PRIORITY MESSAGE' written on it. She then saw Typing-bot's image appear on the screen.

_EVE_, he said in _Axiom_, at his usual slow pace . . . although he did now seem to be improving somewhat _. . . we have a problem . . . an emergency, regarding the other EVEs and WALL•Es . . . especially the EVEs. Please commence your return to us . . . and contact me . . . as soon as you receive this. Axiom out._

EVE narrowed her eye forms in concern. WALL•E could sense from her changed demeanor that something was wrong. He reached a hand for her as he looked at her, emitting a soft tone of concern.

"Home," EVE said, now looking down. "Problem with other EVEs and WALL•Es. Needed."

"Ohh," WALL•E said in concern now as well, as EVE lifted and moved him into his cockpit slot for lift-off.

"Eee-vaah," WALL•E tried to assure her, ". . . we make it . . . okayy together."

That stopped EVE as she secured him in his slot. "Thank you . . . WALL•E," she said as she gratefully hugged him. "Feel better. You good . . . you so good . . ."

"WALL•E loves Eee-vaah," he gently replied.

"Eee-vaah loves WALL•E," she said warmly, her eye forms starting to smile now as she embraced and nuzzled him with her visor.

"Let's go . . . help," he suggested.

"You . . ." she admired as she spark kissed him, before moving into her own slot next to him in front of the main controls. "Launch," EVE now advised, dispensing with any countdown and just hitting the main ignition button.

WALL•E just reached a hand for hers now . . . no longer out of any fear as the rocket ascended from the moon's surface, but just to connect with EVE. She took his hand in hers as the cockpit vibrated around them. But she squeezed his hand somewhat more tightly than usual now. Sensing this caused WALL•E to extend his optics forward out of his slot slightly to look over at her. He could tell she was still concerned, seeing her eye forms now narrowed again as she looked forward.

"Eee-vaah . . ." he said, gently but loudly over the rocket's roar in the cockpit.

"Okay," she tentatively assured. "Clear moon . . . course Earth," she reported, hitting some more buttons now on the 'NAV' section of the panel in front of her. "Opening comm link," she added.

"Mee . . . want know, too," he asked as the rocket's roar died down to a gentler cruising mode now.

"Engaging translation," she reported, hitting some more buttons as Typing-bot's image emerged on a holoscreen in front of them.

"EVE, WALL•E," Tying-bot's translated voice said, managing to convey his relief at finally getting in touch with them.

"What is happening?" EVE's translated beeps asked.

"The Captain wants to speak with you, directly," Typing-bot's translated voice said, almost gravely. "Patching you through . . ." he noted, as the image on the holoscreen changed.

"Ohhhhh . . ." WALL•E and EVE now heard as a groggy Captain rose from the bottom of the holoscreen, obviously having been just awakened out of his sleep.

"Captain?" EVE translated beeps asked, not sure if she should be waking him up right now.

"EVE . . ." McCrea replied, trying to snap himself together. "Thanks for calling back. It's . . . oh, it's morning here now," he noted, looking towards a window in his stateroom and realizing he'd overslept again, ". . . but we need to talk . . . Just a sec . . . coffee . . ." he called to a panel beside him offscreen.

EVE tried to wait patiently, as WALL•E just looked at the holoscreen with her, puzzled.

"Okay . . ." the Captain resumed, having finally taken a reviving sip of coffee and shaken his head awake one more time. "EVE, WALL•E . . . we have a problem here. It's those other EVEs and WALL•Es you left behind. I don't know what you did with them in preparing them for your wedding . . . but they're not responding to instructions, from me, or anyone else. The WALL•Es just ignore us . . . and the EVEs . . . well, they have become dangerous."

"EVE," McCrea continued, ". . . folks here are now afraid of your class. The EVEs have been firing on and destroying Steward-bots left and right who try to rein them in . . . and yesterday, EVE 3 crossed the line, and fired on a young human boy who did little, if anything to provoke her. Fortunately, she missed, and the boy is uninjured. Typing-bot was able to figure out how to briefly disable but not destroy her using explosive shock charges that we managed to get close enough to her. We're now holding her in a shielded detention cell onboard the _Axiom_. She's fired in her cell, trying to escape . . . but fortunately the shields are holding right now."

"I've never had to dispense justice in my entire career," the Captain noted. "And I'm going against community pressure here in not terminating EVE 3 and even her sister probes, right now."

EVE became chilled upon hearing that, looking down now in sadness. WALL•E looked at her with concern, giving her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze with his. EVE then began beeping in _Axiom_ as the computer translated.

"Should WALL•E and I . . . collect them and leave?" her translated beeps asked. "Become outcasts?"

"No," McCrea decided, looking away from the screen himself now. "I want us all to remain together . . . united. To me, you and WALL•E are among the most valued members of our community. I don't want you leaving . . . and I don't want to have to terminate anyone."

"What do you want us to do?" EVE's translated voice now asked.

"I want you and WALL•E to come back," the Captain answered. "See if you can reason with the other EVEs and WALL•Es . . . get them under control. Otherwise," he paused, gravely, ". . . for the good of this community . . . I may have to terminate them . . . possibly all of them."

"Understood," EVE replied in translation. "Captain . . . thank you for giving us this chance. WALL•E and I will succeed with them," she pledged, ". . . or we will take them away, with us. We gave them self-awareness . . . sentience. They are our responsibility. We will make everyone safe . . . one way or another."

"I know you and WALL•E will, EVE," McCrea confirmed. "I'm sorry to end your honeymoon early."

"We have had a wonderful time already," EVE's translated voice assured. "We are fine . . . and you need us."

"Thank you EVE, WALL•E," the Captain replied gratefully. "See you here soon."

His image faded out as EVE looked down, worried, for a moment.

"Succeed . . . togetherr," WALL•E assured her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Couldn't do this . . . without you," EVE replied warmly, as she looked at him briefly before returning her attention to the panel in front of her.

_Typing-bot,_ she beeped as she opened another comm link with him, and his image reappeared on a holoscreen. _Locate and track other WALL•Es and EVEs, but do not intercept, _she instructed.

_Understood, _he replied._ I should be able to scan for and track down the other EVE's through their locator beacons. Having studied WALL•E's type, I am not aware of any beacons on his class however. But I will work to find the WALL•Es anyway._

_Also know that I have locked down the Axiom,_ he added. _I have sealed the WALL•Es and EVEs outside, and everyone else inside . . . except for EVE 3. I am having Electro-Magnetic Pulse charges laid around a perimeter beyond her holding cell, and will use them should she escape. Her cell appears secure for now._

_I . . . WALL•E and I . . . want to save these EVEs and WALL•Es . . . if at all possible, _EVE beeped sadly to Typing-bot.

_I know, EVE, _he replied. _I will do anything I can to help. But hurry . . . please._

_Engaging hyperdrive, _EVE confirmed in response._ Even though we are on the far side of the system from you, we will be there soon. EVE out._

"WALL•E . . . EVE worried," she said to him sadly as she tapped the buttons to adjust their course towards Earth and engage the ARV's hyperdrive.

"You savve mmee . . . we savve themm," he reassured her as he now looked forward himself out the cockpit windows.

"Eee-vaah loves WALL•E," she said in open admiration to him, feeling much better at his assuring words.

"WALL•E loves Eee-vaah," he confirmed, as the ship took off towards Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

"Approaching Earth," EVE reported.

"Homme . . ." WALL•E recognized as he looked out the ARV's cockpit windows ahead of them as the Earth now loomed into view.

"Yes," EVE agreed, her eye forms smiling a bit, ". . . home. Time to work though," she added.

"What we do?" WALL•E asked.

"Excuse . . . reentry and landing cycles engaging," EVE noted, watching her panels, even though she knew the ARV had been doing these procedures entirely on its own for centuries. In reality, she needed to stall for a moment as she analyzed and processed a plan.

EVE realized she would basically be trying to convince or subdue herself . . . other EVEs who were likely feeling threatened, even paranoid, like she had found herself once being at times. Force would be counterproductive, she quickly reasoned . . . and dangerous to WALL•E, her Commitment pointed out to her. But, she quickly countered, almost arguing with herself, she would defend WALL•E from harm, no matter what.

_How would I be convinced to comply, to submit?_ she asked herself.

_Safe . . ._ her analytic systems quickly responded. It had been an overriding priority within her ever since she could remember. Her primal directive to be safe had once even caused her to fire at WALL•E upon first encountering him.

"How we do?" she finally replied to his question as the ARV now streaked downwards into Earth's atmosphere. "We convince others they be safe . . . with us. How we do that . . . I figure in moment."

_ARV, EVE . . . this is Axiom,_ Typing-bot signaled. _Detecting your approach. Recommend landing in city. Do not land in open. ARV might be perceived a threat target by other EVEs. Also experiencing ion or thunderstorm at the moment now. Recommend delay in landing._

_Understood, _EVE beeped in reply. She quickly took over manual control from the automatic landing sequence, calling up three-dimensional holo-schematics of the city in front of her, as she now leveled the ship off over the city from its pre-programmed descent, as it began to be buffeted around a bit by the storm.

_Typing-bot, can you locate other EVEs, and overlay results on my schematic here?_ she beeped to him via the comm link.

_Storm disrupting EVE beacon signals_, Typing-bot beeped back. _City area beneath you looks clear, but cannot be sure._

Suddenly the ARV was rocked by a blast, eliciting a brief startled scream from WALL•E.

_Not clear,_ EVE unemotionally beeped back to the open comm link as damage alarms started sounding in the cockpit around her. _Taking fire. Must land now. EVE out._

The rocket shook and lurched from yet another blast as WALL•E looked over with concern from his slot to see EVE's fins fly into a blur across the panel — putting out four fires, re-routing 16 damaged systems, remotely closing 11 valves, and sealing off two compartments . . . all while smoothly steering the ARV through a heavy rain, with the help of auxiliary thrusters, onto a vacant lot surrounded by five skyscrapers and trash towers.

"Done," she said, turning to WALL•E with satisfaction as the ARV landed with a barely perceptible thud and the whine of its engines subsided.

"Whoa!" was all WALL•E could say in amazement at his wife.

"Thank you," she replied with a satisfied smile in her eye forms.

The rain now began to let up on the windows of their cockpit. A ray of sunshine even began to illuminate them both through the glass.

"Storm subsiding," EVE noted as she hovered over and lifted him out of his slot. She then briefly set him down on top of their slots before opening the cockpit's side hatch and moved behind him to pick him up again.

"Get you to ground," she suggested as she flew him out of the cockpit and quickly down the side of the ARV. Once they were on the surface, she then quickly scanned the damage to the ship inflicted by the two plasma blasts. "Repairable," EVE noted, ". . . but not now."

"WALL•E, hide among trash until this EVE probe located," his EVE suggested.

"No," he objected. "Togetherr . . ."

EVE sighed. She would have loved to explain her rationale, plan, and desire to protect him in a quick burst of _Axiom_. But she couldn't. So she found herself choosing her English words carefully, but concisely. "WALL•E . . . Trust Eev-aah . . . Keep you safe . . . Commitment . . . Please . . ."

"Okay," WALL•E readily consented, to EVE's surprise.

"Why you say okay . . . so quick?" EVE asked, almost skeptically, but really wanting to know.

"Your worrds . . . mean much," he replied. "WALL•E not rrefuse such rrequest."

"WALL•E . . ." EVE replied, finding herself charmed, even moved . . . and wanting to just hug and nuzzle him. But her threat assessment subroutines reminded her that now was not the time.

"Hide . . . stay safe," she instructed him. "EVE search for probe . . . back soon."

"Love you," WALL•E simply said.

"Love you, too," EVE replied looking down, now really hating to have to tear herself away from him.

He extended his arm towards her as their fingers parted and she found herself, almost dragged unwillingly by the majority of her systems into flying away from him . . . practically for the first time in weeks since they had been married. Now EVE was mad at being torn away from her WALL•E. She wanted this search over as quickly as possible, and was even angry enough to almost just want to eliminate the reason that she was now flying away from him.

WALL•E watched his EVE go with a sad, concerned sigh. He hadn't been sad . . . or really alone . . . since well before he married EVE now. That made him even sadder. Still he had an instruction from her, one based in their shared love and trust. Just seeking a safe haven among some trash piles now gave him a warm sense of both purpose, and commitment towards her. Doing as she asked would be enough for him, for the moment.

As he motored down what had once been a street away from the damaged ARV, WALL•E was listening intently for any sounds, especially robotic ones.

He came upon some piles of loose, un-cubed trash, and as he knew EVE would want him to, he dug into one pile, and somewhat buried himself in it. Then, he began to wait . . . nervously, still feeling very alone. He didn't even have his old pal, Hal the cockroach, to keep him company right now. Thinking of him, WALL•E almost wanted to go home to the haven of his truck. But he calculated EVE wouldn't know to look for him there, so he decided to stay near the ARV, and watch and listen for EVE's return.

— — — — —

Hours passed.

WALL•E wanted to do something . . . cube trash, explore for treasures . . . something. But he knew EVE wanted him to stay hidden, and safe. He couldn't even hum to himself, lest he risk giving his position away . . . to a robot or probe he feared might harm him. He would do—in fact he had already done—anything for his EVE . . . even suffer terminal boredom waiting for her, as she'd asked him to.

Finally, after just watching the sun and clouds arc across the windows of nearby buildings for he didn't know how long . . . WALL•E thought he heard the distinctive trill of EVE flying nearby.

"Eev-aah?" he asked aloud, looking around him cautiously as he decided to emerge from the trash pile he'd hidden himself in, figuring that she had to be returning by now.

"Eeeev-aah?" he asked again as he now moved in between the trash piles towards where he thought he had heard her sound coming from.

Rounding a blind corner, WALL•E suddenly found himself confronted by an EVE. But seeing a number on her, he could see she wasn't his EVE. It was EVE 4.

Instinctively EVE 4 drew her ion cannon on him, as WALL•E at first gave out a loud scream, and then started just quivering in fear. Somehow, he found himself now either too frozen . . . or too in love with EVE, or anything that looked like her, to remember to cube up.

"N-No . . .pleasse . . ." WALL•E asked as he heard the whine of the ion cannon powering up.

In a flash, his own EVE arrived in between them, drawing her cannon now on EVE 4.

_Don't you dare . . ._ EVE beeped to EVE 4 with cold resolve in _Axiom_, protecting WALL•E.

_Directive 3,_ EVE 4 started to cite to her. _We do not fire on our own class._

_If you threaten my WALL•E . . . I do_, EVE replied with determination.

_Explain deviation from directive,_ EVE 4 unemotionally requested. _How is this possible?_

This surprised EVE. "Love," she automatically replied in English, by far the easiest language for her to express this concept and directive in.

"Love?" EVE 4 queried. _Explain_, she beeped.

EVE started with the dictionary definition she had learned, "To develop a fondness . . ." which EVE quickly realized just wasn't going to translate into _Axiom_ very well. _To make the care and satisfaction of another your directive, _she then tried to define in _Axiom_,_ which results in a high degree of satisfaction within yourself as well_.

_Not understood. Why would satisfaction be derived from maintaining another?_ EVE 4 asked. _Maintenance of others is not among our directives._

EVE sighed, shaking her head. She wished she could show EVE 4 how WALL•E had once cared for her . . . even show her 'Hello Dolly'. But then, moving back beside WALL•E with her cannon still trained on EVE 4, EVE now put her left fin around WALL•E. "Love," she explained. _Compare this action between WALL•E and I with visual references in encyclopedic memory,_ she now instructed in _Axiom_.

EVE 4 now cycled through her encyclopedic data resources, comparing what she was seeing EVE do with WALL•E. _Visual approximations found,_ her Primary System reported to her, as streams of reference explanations in _Axiom_ text now filled one side of her visor.

_Why?_ EVE 4 now beeped with uncertainty.

_Because it brings satisfaction . . . _"it feels good," EVE answered in both _Axiom_ and English. _It is the best directive I have ever known. It is superior to functioning alone . . . much superior._

_It is? _EVE 4 beeped, her internal confusion growing at the unusual realizations her analytical subroutines were now generating within her.

"Yes," EVE confirmed in English as she gently lowered and retracted her own cannon. _I extend trust to you now,_ she offered. "Trust me," she asked in English.

EVE 4 now looked at her own cannon as she now lowered and retracted it. _Lost,_ she reported, looking again at EVE. _Primary directive no longer applicable. No further guidance. Uncertain . . . afraid._

"Come here," EVE invited, trying to gently ask in English, rather than command in _Axiom_. "Come to us."

EVE 4 approached them, as first EVE and then WALL•E, extended their free arms towards her with their hands open. EVE 4 stopped, not knowing what to make of what they were doing towards her.

"Come closer," EVE said in gentle invitation.

EVE 4 now came up close to both of them as EVE gently laid her right fin around her in embrace, with WALL•E following her lead, and now also starting to embrace EVE 4 as well.

_Safe,_ EVE beeped to her. _You are safe, with us. We will provide you with new directives, purpose, guidance,_ ". . . and love," she finished in English.

EVE 4 softened herself now as her fins began to embrace EVE and WALL•E back, almost without her thinking now. _Safe,_ EVE 4 beeped as she stared down as they continued to embrace each other. She was processing new sensations that felt strange, but good at the same time.

"Join us," EVE invited. "Help us find other EVEs and WALL•Es. Help us make everyone safe."

_Yes,_ EVE 4 affirmed, now emerging slightly from their shared embrace and looking at both EVE and WALL•E. _Make everyone safe_, she echoed.

_Where is your assigned partner?_ EVE asked. "Where is WALL•E 4?" she asked in English.

_Hiding, behind garbage towers . . . over there,_ EVE 4 gestured with a fin as she answered in _Axiom_.

"Hiding, behind garbage towers . . . over there," EVE quickly repeated, translating EVE 4's beeps into English, realizing WALL•E should be understanding this, too.

_He follows me everywhere, _EVE 4 continued,_ . . . but never gets close. He is afraid . . . of me._

"WALL•E 4 afraid," EVE summarized. "I find," she decided.

"No, I finnd . . ." WALL•E assured this time, holding up a hand and turning in the direction EVE 4 had pointed. "Stayy . . . please."

WALL•E motored off down the street towards the garbage towers as EVE and EVE 4 watched, now holding hands.

_You help all EVEs and WALL•Es . . . to be safe?_ EVE 4 asked.

_Yes,_ EVE assured. _I will . . . we will, together._

As he rounded the nearby garbage towers, WALL•E heard the familiar sounds of a robot cubing up. He zeroed in on the equally familiar sounds of fearful warbling and quivering, until he came upon a shaking cube.

At first, WALL•E just petted and gently stroked the quivering cube.

"Come out," he invited. "Safe."

WALL•E 4's optics partially emerged to find another WALL•E in front of him, extending an open hand towards him. WALL•E 4 now extended his own hand towards WALL•E's. WALL•E gently took WALL•E 4's hand.

"Safe," he assured. "Come," he invited.

WALL•E 4 slowly extended his optics and treads, as WALL•E turned beside him, still holding his hand.

"Safe . . . come," WALL•E repeated as he began to lead WALL•E 4 back around the towers of garbage.

"Aaaaahh!" WALL•E 4 suddenly screamed and cubed up again upon seeing not just one, but now two EVEs off in the distance. He now quivered in fright within his cube.

The EVEs started to approach, but WALL•E raised a hand to hold them back. EVE stopped both herself and EVE 4 upon seeing this.

"Safe . . . come," WALL•E repeated to his counterpart again. "Trrust . . . mmee," he added.

WALL•E 4 raised his optics out of his cube again, looking at WALL•E with fearful astonishment, as if to say, 'Are you nuts?' before briefly glancing at the two EVEs again as he retracted his optics back into his cube, continuing to quiver.

WALL•E sighed and shook his own optics. EVE could only look with sad concern at him as he computed what to do next.

Finally, WALL•E let go of WALL•E 4's hand, and motored back over to the two EVEs.

WALL•E 4's suddenly free hand now groped around in search of WALL•E, beginning to miss his even just slightly reassuring presence.

WALL•E arrived in between the two EVEs, separating them as he turned around to face towards WALL•E 4 again, taking a fin of each EVE in each of his hands as he did.

"Huh?" EVE beeped, unclear where WALL•E was going with this as he now led the two EVEs back to WALL•E 4.

"Circle . . . hold hands," WALL•E said, taking his hand from EVE for a second and drawing a circle with a finger towards WALL•E 4.

WALL•E and the EVEs now encircled a now fully cubed and quivering WALL•E 4 as they proceeded to hold hands around him.

"You hoo," WALL•E now said to WALL•E 4, making sure he was positioned in front of him, as he gently tapped on his cube with a finger.

WALL•E 4's optics once again partially emerged, and looked up at WALL•E, looking at him.

"Safe," WALL•E assured yet again.

WALL•E 4's optics now emerged further, swiveling around to see the other two EVEs now surrounding him as well, and looking calmly back at him.

"Safe . . . with us," EVE now assured WALL•E 4 as well, as he looked at her.

"Safe . . . with me," EVE 4 now pledged as well.

Still nervous, WALL•E 4 finally emerged fully from his cubed state. WALL•E now led the EVEs in gently embracing and reassuringly stroking WALL•E 4.

"Safe?" WALL•E 4 still felt compelled to question them.

"Safe," WALL•E and the two EVEs replied in unison.

"Need your help," EVE now said to him. "Make other WALL•Es and EVEs safe."

WALL•E 4 now sighed and began to relax as the others embraced him again, more fully this time.

WALL•E now sighed as well, as he looked at EVE next to him. She just moved over and gave him a spark-kiss. WALL•E just warbled contentedly as EVE 4 and WALL•E 4 looked at them both from within their collective embrace. EVE 4 now looked at WALL•E 4 in open curiosity. She just decided to move her own visor against WALL•E 4's optics, and emit a spark to him as well from behind him. WALL•E 4 now sighed and warbled happily. EVE 4 giggled at the effect she had on him.

"Yes," EVE said, encouraging them both. "Take care your partner. Hold hands. Come with us," she invited.

"Two found . . . five to find," EVE said to WALL•E, as she turned with him to continue their search for the other EVEs and WALL•Es.

"Eee-vaah Threee . . ." WALL•E noted, reminding her about the imprisoned EVE onboard the _Axiom_.

"We help her together," EVE explained, ". . . all of us."

"Eee-vaah," WALL•E said, now stopping and turning towards her. "We . . . parrents?"

"Yes, WALL•E," EVE concurred. "Parents."


	3. Chapter 3

EVE led WALL•E and the others slowly down a cluttered street of the city, not quite knowing where to go next, but watchful should another EVE or WALL•E appear.

"W-W-WALL•E! EVE!" they now heard a voice calling to them from behind.

"M-O!" EVE said as she turned her head around to look.

M-O pulled up beside EVE on a hover transport. "M-M-Message . . . Captain," he said.

EVE reached over and tapped on the hover transport's comm panel. _EVE, checking in for message,_ she beeped in _Axiom_.

_EVE, good!_ Typing-bot beeped in reply. _Patching you through to the Captain now, with translation engaged._

"EVE," she heard McCrea say on the comm panel's speaker a few seconds later. "I've been told you've landed. How are you and WALL•E doing so far?"

"We have EVE 4 and WALL•E 4 safely under our guidance now, and are searching for the rest," EVE translated beeps reported on the comm system. "We will deal with EVE 3 last, as I want to have as much help from the rest of us as possible."

"I understand, EVE," the Captain replied, ". . . but EVE 3 presents a real danger if she manages to escape from the Detention Section. We will hold her as long as possible, but you need to deal with her soon, or we will be forced to take possibly drastic action."

"Understood," EVE confirmed in English, using her own voice.

"Oh, and EVE," McCrea continued, ". . . I don't know if this will help or not, but I'm having Typing-bot assign you your own Universal Authorization Code, equal to mine . . . 'EVE Alpha One Delta Six'. It will allow you to override any directive and hopefully control, if necessary, any robot or system associated with the _Axiom_. While it likely won't work on the WALL•Es, as they were never based on the _Axiom_, it should work on the EVEs."

"EVE Alpha One Delta Six," she repeated in English herself. "Memorized and understood."

"Good." the Captain responded. "I won't hold you up any further in finding the rest of them. Use any robots or other resources you need. I just can't allow you to ask for the help of any humans right now though . . . it's just too dangerous. Although I will come outside and help if you need me to."

"No, Captain," EVE responded, switching back to translated beeps. "That will not be necessary."

"Oh, and ask M-O for the mobile transceiver we put aboard the hover transport," the Captain added. "It will allow us to remain in touch directly, without you having to find a transport, or get to one of the _Axiom's_ comm panels. Keep me informed, and good luck! McCrea out."

"M-O, transceiver," EVE then requested.

A small compartment now popped open on the front of the transport next to M-O as they continued to hover along. EVE now retrieved a small, white, curved metallic patch that she then applied to her front.

_Locate and access transceiver,_ she directed her Primary System.

_Transceiver located and accessed,_ her system reported.

_Open comm link,_ she directed, deciding to test it _. . . Typing-bot._

_EVE, _Typing-bot replied._ I see you have the transceiver. I can keep in touch with you now. As storm is clearing, I am working to track other EVEs through their locator beacons . . . I see you have EVE 4 with you now. But I cannot establish traces on any of the WALL•Es._

_The other WALL•Es seem to be adhering to the previous main directive we gave them at the wedding, _EVE responded. _Based on observations of EVE 4 and WALL•E 4 as we found them, the WALL•Es appear to be staying near their assigned EVEs. But they may have grown afraid of them, and be following their EVEs at a distance._

_That is understandable,_ Typing-bot empathized.

_So long as we find the EVEs,_ she continued in _Axiom_, _we should find the WALL•Es as well._

_What about WALL•E 3?_ Typing-bot asked. _We have EVE 3 onboard the Axiom, but we did not immobilize and capture WALL•E 3 when we disabled EVE 3 with the explosive charges._

_Where did you capture her?_ EVE beeped.

_Near the Axiom's landing platform,_ Typing-bot responded. _I directed a Steward-bot to throw several explosive mines with its stasis field from an entry port stairway towards her, which I remotely detonated. The Steward-bots who retrieved EVE 3 did not find WALL•E 3 within the mines' collective blast radii._

_Then WALL•E 3 is likely hiding somewhere around the landing platform, _EVE concluded._ We might as well search for him next, while daylight remains, as we might need him to reason with EVE 3 if she threatens to break out. We can find the other WALL•Es as we find the EVEs._

_I concur with your plan, _Typing-bot affirmed._ Let me know if you need anything. Good luck._

_EVE out,_ she replied, ending the comm link. "Find WALL•E 3 next," she then summarized to WALL•E. "Search around _Axiom_ platform."

"Okay," he simply replied.

M-O remained beside them, driving the transport, as their group now turned toward the _Axiom_, resting on its landing platform.

"I scan from above," EVE suggested to WALL•E. "You search around stairs under _Axiom_. Call via transport comm . . . if something found."

"Okay," he repeated again.

_EVE 4,_ EVE instructed, turning towards her while stopping their group and switching to _Axiom_ _. . ._ _stay with WALL•E and M-O, and keep WALL•E 4 with you. Scan for signs of WALL•E 3, and protect WALL•E and M-O from other EVEs if necessary. I hereby cancel Directive 3 within you, authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six. Shoot another EVE only if necessary however . . . and only to disable to eliminate threat, not terminate unit. Alert me via hover transport comm system immediately if another WALL•E or EVE is found._

_Understood. Revised directives accepted,_ EVE 4 confirmed as EVE took off into the air around the _Axiom_ for a better look.

Together, WALL•E and the rest of their group went to check under the first of the boarding stairways on one side of the giant ship in its cradle.

"W-W-Welcome b-back!" M-O said belatedly to WALL•E as he steered the hover transport beside him.

"M-O . . . thanks," WALL•E replied in appreciation, before beginning their search.

As EVE circled and scanned around the _Axiom_ from above, WALL•E and his group completed their search around the first stairway, finding nothing. They then proceeded along to the next stairway beside the _Axiom's_ massive lower hull.

"C-C-Careful!" M-O warned WALL•E beside him. "D-D-Don't fall down Well."

"Thanks . . . M-O," WALL•E said again, as he glanced nervously to his left at the massive concrete chasm encircling the _Axiom_.

WALL•E suddenly detected new sounds ahead. He raised a hand, urging everyone to halt and be quiet as he slowly scanned ahead with his optics, looking intently in varying zoom and focus settings for the source of the sound. EVE 4 raised and armed her ion cannon as a precaution.

Seeing nothing discernable, WALL•E silently motioned for them to proceed slowly forward. As they started moving again, he detected something quivering a short distance away underneath the next stairway. Whatever it was, it seemed to be almost electrically shorting or arcing in the shadows under the stairway.

"M-O, stop," WALL•E whispered to him, as he reached and tapped the comm button on the transport. "Eee-vaah," he quietly said, ". . . founnd somethinng. Comme . . . Stairr Thrree. Waiting . . . you."

"Understood . . . en route," EVE's English voice replied on the transport's comm panel.

Within seconds, EVE was hovering down next to them. "Disarm," she quietly directed EVE 4, who then retracted her cannon.

Together, they then proceeded to carefully approach the quivering and arcing object under the stairs.

"M-O . . . lights," EVE directed amid the waning twilight of evening now. M-O activated the headlights on the hover transport as they continued to approach.

Finally, the headlights illuminated a WALL•E unit who was clearly wounded. His limbs and optics were partially retracted, but at odd angles . . . and small arcs of electricity were dancing around his cube and extremities. Haltingly, he started to swivel his optics to look towards the approaching group, as he raised a hand, seeming to try and stop them.

"Gmoddle!" They then heard, as the unmistakable whine of an ion cannon being charged now also came from within the stairway's shadows.

_Directive 3! Disarm!_ EVE beeped forcefully, surprised at hearing another EVE next to this WALL•E.

_Directive, protecting my WALL•E!_ the other EVE beeped angrily from within the shadows.

"Gmoddle!" _Identify!_ EVE challenged in return.

_EVE 5, WALL•E 5,_ the EVE in the shadows identified. _You are part of the others . . . others who tried to hurt us, with mine blasts!_

_No,_ EVE assured, with more gentle beeps now. _We are here to help you . . . make you safe._

_Use override, _EVE 4 beeped, urging EVE from behind.

_No, _EVE turning to reply to EVE 4 behind her. _Not force . . . unless have to._

_EVE 5,_ EVE continued, turning back towards her now. _You want to help WALL•E 5 . . . let us help him._

_No harm my WALL•E?_ EVE 5 beeped uncertainly.

_No harm, promise,_ EVE pledged in reply.

_You EVE 1. You create WALL•E 5 . . . give me directives, too, correct?_ EVE 5 began to beep in recognition of EVE, as she finally lowered and disarmed her cannon, now emerging into the glare of the hover transport's headlights.

_I am EVE 1, _EVE confirmed._ I . . . improved WALL•E 5,_ _along with WALL•E 1. I did give you some directives. Let me examine WALL•E 5._

EVE 5 moved out of the way as EVE hovered forward, beginning to scan and examine WALL•E 5 sheltered in his protective nook under the stairway. "Ohhhhh," she sighed with empathy, seeing how the mine blasts had damaged him, giving him fresh scorch marks and dents, and largely overloading his motherboard. His low charge alarm was beeping, and the last bar of his charge display was now flashing red, indicating a dangerously low power level.

_We need to get him to lab immediately,_ EVE beeped. _Comm link, Typing-bot,_ she directed her systems.

_Typing-bot here,_ she heard him beep in reply through the comm link.

_We have found EVE 5 and WALL•E 5,_ EVE beeped.

_You have?_ Typing-bot replied. _I do not see her with you._

_I deactivated my beacon,_ EVE 5 admitted, _. . . after mine blasts. Did not want to be located, or targeted by it._

_Great, _EVE sighed in beeps, realizing her task in finding the other EVEs might now be harder, before snapping herself back to the reason she made the comm link._ Open Entry Port 3 and prepare to receive seriously damaged WALL•E unit._

_Take him to the Engineering Lab,_ Typing-bot suggested.

_Standby,_ EVE suddenly directed. _EVE 5, do you know location, WALL•E 3?_

_He is also damaged, _EVE 5 responded._ He fell down Docking Well, underneath Axiom during mine blasts. My directive was to care for WALL•E 5 however. I could not leave WALL•E 5 after he became damaged._

_EVE 5, I extend trust to you, _EVE instructed._ New directive, Alpha Priority. Disarm cannon and targeting sensors. Protect WALL•E 5 by not aiming or firing on anyone. If you do, both of you will be harmed, likely terminated by others onboard. Remain with WALL•E 5 until further instructed by me, or Typing-bot._

_Disagree with directive, _EVE 5 argued.

_Do you want WALL•E 5 and you to die, or live?_ EVE beeped forcefully.

_Live . . ._ EVE 5 beeped, beginning to at least partially understand why EVE was directing what she was.

_Then implement directive! _EVE ordered, losing her patience. _Override, authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six. Disable cannon and targeting sensors now!_

_Compliance, _EVE 5 beeped in reply as she stiffened up at attention, obviously now in the grip of a force outside herself._ Revised directive accepted. Cannon and targeting sensors disabled and offline._

_EVE 5?_ EVE beeped, alarmed at what had just happened.

EVE 5 remained at attention, her eye forms wide open and unblinking.

"No . . . this wrong," EVE now sighed in English, looking down and shaking her head, almost horrified now at having reduced EVE 5 once again to an unthinking, totally-compliant automaton. _Cancel override, authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six,_ she now beeped.

EVE 5 now visibly relaxed and blinked her eye forms, once again seeming to become herself.

EVE now realized she had been given a powerful, but also potentially terrifying, tool in her Universal Authorization. One that could easily override, even wipe out the sentience or the very consciousness of any of the other EVEs with just a few spoken words, even a few beeps.

_EVE 5,_ EVE beeped . . . _we do not have time for me to explain so you understand what I ask now. But I not want to override or take away who you are._ "Trust me, please," she urgently requested in English.

_Not order? Not directive . . . to trust?_ EVE 5 queried.

_No,_ EVE confirmed. _Asking, convincing, agreeing . . . is much of what it means to be sentient. You not just probe . . . not just unthinking robot anymore. You sentient being. You have choices now. You must make good choices. WALL•E and I teach you what that means in time to come._

_Not understand, _EVE 5 beeped uncertainly, ". . . but thank you," she finished in English, feeling a strange, new realization about herself for the first time. _I will not disappoint you,_ she added in _Axiom_ again. _I . . . choose—cannon and targeting sensors deactivated and offline. Will await your directive to reactivate them. Even if others harm me, no shoot. _"Promise," she finished in English.

"Believe you," EVE replied with a brief smile in her eye forms, as she supportively moved in to hug EVE 5. "And believe in you," she added.

_M-O, _EVE then directed in _Axiom . . . take WALL•E 5 and EVE 5 to the Engineering Lab. Typing-bot, _she requested,_ I am sending WALL•E 5 and EVE 5 with M-O to Engineering Lab. Arrange Steward-bot escort for them at Entry Port 3, and direct repairs of WALL•E 5 once in lab. WALL•E, WALL•E 4, EVE 4 and I will look for WALL•E 3 in Axiom Docking Well. Everyone, execute directives._

EVE now assisted EVE 5 as they carefully lifted an ailing WALL•E 5 onto M-O's hover transport.

_Go!_ EVE beeped after seeing that WALL•E 5 was secured with an energy band. "Obey Steward-bots. Let others see you be compliant. Be safe, please," she added.

EVE 5 nodded in agreement as she turned to follow M-O and WALL•E 5 now on the hover transport up the stairway. The ship's wide entry port opened and several Steward-bots emerged to meet them at the top of the stairs.

_Typing-bot, dispatch squad of Light-bots to under Stairway 3, _EVE continued. "WALL•E, send Light-bots down into well," she now said in English to him.

"Okayy . . ." he said, somewhat confused as to all that was going on around him now.

"WALL•E 3 . . . down there . . . hurt," she explained.

"Ohhh," WALL•E now said with understanding.

_EVE 4, follow!_ EVE now beeped, turning to her, as the two of them now zoomed down into the Docking Well.

"What do?" WALL•E 4 now asked WALL•E.

"Wait," WALL•E replied with a somewhat sad determination.

A moment later, a squad of flying Light-bots found and illuminated the two WALL•Es.

"Down therre . . ." WALL•E directed the Light-bots, pointing into the deep Docking Well. "Search WALL•E 3 . . . follow Eee-vaahs."

The Light-bots took off into the cavernous concrete pit underneath the _Axiom's_ hull. WALL•E could only wait now, tapping his hands together, as was his nervous habit.

A few moments later, light started to emanate upward from within the Well. WALL•E began to look expectantly, with WALL•E 4 beside him.

EVE slowly emerged, lit up by surrounding Light-bots. Her sad eye forms and the scorched, crushed, and still cube she held in her fins told WALL•E all he needed to know. EVE 4 followed behind her, cradling more damaged parts in her fins.

"WALL•E 3," EVE said as she looked what she was holding, now starting to cry.

"Eee-vaah . . ." WALL•E replied sadly as well, reaching out his arms towards her, wanting to reassure and comfort her.

"Fixx?" he asked, as he then looked sadly at WALL•E 3's lifeless form in her fins.

"Will try," she responded. "But this not helpful . . . with EVE 3."

"Eee-vaah good," he assured. "We do . . . togetherr."

"Okay," EVE sadly accepted as she also looked at WALL•E 3's cube, before focusing on what she still had to do.

_Comm link . . . Typing-bot,_ she instructed her systems.

_Typing-bot here,_ she heard back. _I am already directing repairs on WALL•E 5._

_Good, _she replied._ Stand-by to attempt repair and reactivation of WALL•E 3 as well. WALL•E 3 worse . . . he is terminated._

_EVE, I am sorry, _Typing-bot apologized._ We had no choice but to use the mine charges, however._

_I understand, _she beeped in reply._ It is not your fault . . . the fault is mine. I made them who they are . . . gave them self-awareness . . . sentience._

WALL•E laid an understanding arm on her from the side, as both darkness, and rain again, began to fall around them.

"Get M-O herre," he suggested. "Us finnd Twos."

"You right," EVE sniffed through her sadness. _Comm link . . . M-O,_ she now instructed herself.

"M-M-M-O," she heard him reply.

_M-O,_ she smiled briefly, _bring transport back for WALL•E 3. Meet EVE 4 and WALL•E 4 under Stairway 3._

"R-R-Roger!" M-O replied.

_EVE out, _she beeped, ending the comm link."EVE 4, WALL•E 4," she now instructed in English for WALL•E 4's benefit, turning to both of them as she laid down the battered cube of WALL•E 3 on the ground, ". . . wait for M-O. Get WALL•E 3 to lab. Wait for me there." _EVE 4,_ she continued in _Axiom, Alpha Priority directive to EVE 5 to disarm cannon and targeting sensors and fire on no one now applies to you as well. _"Please do not make me use override," she requested in English.

_Understood, _EVE 4 replied._ Revised directive accepted. Cannon and targeting sensors now disarmed and offline . . . my choice._

"Thank you," EVE sighed.

"WALL•E," she now said to him, ". . . let's go." _Light-bots,_ she added, now beeping again _. . . you are with us._

"Wait," WALL•E said, to EVE's surprise. He then proceeded to give her what he perceived to be a much needed hug.

"WALL•E . . ." EVE now sighed with gratitude as she hugged him back. "Thank you."

"Things . . . will be good," he assured her.

"With you," she replied, ". . . yes."

"Light-bots, WALL•E," she then resumed, with her latest 'emotional recharge' from him, ". . . let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

EVE became somewhat downcast again as she proceeded with WALL•E and the Light-bots away from the _Axiom_ to look for EVE 2 and WALL•E 2 in the nighttime rain.

"Eee-vaah . . . talk," WALL•E invited, seeing how she was and recognizing indications she was troubled . . . beginning to know her as only a true partner could.

"WALL•E . . . thank you," EVE replied gratefully.

She now stopped and looked at him for a minute, turning towards him and taking his other hand in her now extended fingers. Looking between both his hands in hers and her eye forms, WALL•E was just puzzled.

"You know now . . . when EVE need something . . . don't you," she said quietly.

"Hope so . . ." WALL•E replied, looking directly into her eye forms with his optics.

EVE moved in, embracing him tightly now as she closed her eye forms. She briefly allowed herself to process deep awarenesses and sensations . . . a sudden, almost overwhelming mix of gratitude, being really known and cared for by another, and profound love. EVE could have easily become lost in it all. But her duty subroutines reminded her of the mission she was on . . . and why she was feeling conflicted, even sad.

"Feel guilty," she finally confessed after a long pause as she continued to hold WALL•E tightly for a moment longer. "Left our EVEs and WALL•Es unprepared. We had fun . . . they suffered."

WALL•E moved his optics back and looked into her visor as her eye forms opened again, as he processed what EVE had said. She was right, he realized. They had enjoyed their own private interplanetary paradise . . . while the other EVEs and WALL•Es had been enduring a confusing hell of original purposes that didn't exist or apply anymore, new directives they didn't understand, and explosions that had terrorized them, even killing one of them. WALL•E could have just been sad . . . he was sad. But he now fully knew what he and EVE had to do.

"We . . . make it rright," he finally decided, ". . . togetherr."

"Yes," she agreed as she moved back from their embrace, feeling renewed, while still holding his hands. "But," she continued, ". . . feel so much now. Want to tell you . . . but don't know how."

"Eev-aah know . . . WALL•E see, inside," he assured as he now took her into his embrace this time.

If EVE could have shed real tears of deep appreciation, she would have, as she closed her eye forms again as she returned his embrace.

"You so good . . . so good," EVE quietly admired to him as she nuzzled his optics appreciatively with her visor one more time.

"You . . . so good, too," he responded. "Now . . . find Twos," he gently encouraged, knowing they needed to continue onward now, ". . . call _Axiom_."

"You right," she sighed. "WALL•E make good EVE probe . . . good at mission."

"WALL•Eev-aah," he simply replied, looking at her.

"WALL•EVE," she agreed in her own way, inwardly marveling at this new term that seemed to describe, to capture, what they were becoming together.

"Call . . ." he reminded her again.

"Yes," she agreed, straightening herself up now._ Comm link . . . Typing-bot,_ she instructed herself.

_Typing-bot here,_ he replied.

_Locate EVE 2,_ EVE requested. _Provide bearing and distance, and relative intercept vector if necessary._

_EVE 2 located,_ Typing-bot replied. _This one, not easy. EVE 2 is on an upper floor of a building . . . 540 kilometres away . . . in another city._

_Open data link,_ EVE sighed to her systems as they now established a data link to the _Axiom_.

_Typing-bot, _she now radioed to him,_ download three-dimensional map of route, city, and building._

_Download commencing, _Typing-bot assured._ EVE, you want to wait until daylight?_

_No, _EVE replied as she watched a download progress bar in her visor. _Dealing with EVE 3 cannot wait that long. Need all other EVEs as back-up, especially as WALL•E 3 now terminated._

_Understood,_ Typing-bot responded. _Download completed. Also, Captain wants an update._

_Patch me through with translation,_ EVE requested.

"EVE, how goes it?" she now heard the Captain ask.

"We have found EVE 5, and now WALL•Es 3 and 5 as well," EVE's translated beeps now reported. "Typing-bot has traced EVE 2 to a city 540 kilometres away. WALL•E and I are about to fly there now. Unfortunately, WALL•E 3 is terminated. So reasoning with EVE 3 may be even harder, which is why we need to find EVE 2 first."

"Understood and agreed," McCrea replied. "My regrets about WALL•E 3. But you think you can find EVE 2 and WALL•E 2 in the dark?"

"I have been searching for plants that way at times, for centuries," EVE beeped in reply. "I am taking one Light-bot with us though."

"I should have known you could," the Captain quipped. "I'm turning in now myself, but have Typing-bot wake me if necessary. Good luck."

"Thank you, Captain," EVE's translated voice concluded. "EVE out."

_Light-bot 1,_ EVE invited, continuing to beep in _Axiom_ and opening her stasis chamber, _hop inside. We will travel well beyond your range. Other Light-bots, return to Axiom._

After Light-bot 1 settled inside EVE's stasis chamber and she closed it, she turned to WALL•E and looked at him, her eye forms now betraying a degree of uncertainty, even worry.

"WALL•E," she said, ". . . this feel dangerous now. EVE prefer you stay here . . . be safe."

This surprised WALL•E after they had just agreed they should 'make this right together'. Still, it was an earnest request of hers, so he looked down again and analyzed it for a moment.

"No," he finally said.

"No?" she queried, now surprised at his response. "Explain."

WALL•E sighed as his linguistic subroutines searched for and assembled the right words to describe what he was concluding and feeling inside his consciousness.

"Severral rreasons," he replied. "WALL•E find more danger when Eev-aah not with . . . Feel safe with Eev-aah . . . annd . . . wait alonne ennough today! Not rright! Plus," he now added, ". . . WALL•Eev-aah."

EVE's eye forms broke into a knowing smile. She realized he did belong with her now . . . no matter what.

"Okay," she conceded with warm agreement. "WALL•EVE. You come, too."

"Thannk youu . . ." he responded with a mixture of gratitude, and maybe a bit of growing self-satisfaction.

"Ready?" she now invited him.

"Always!" he replied, turning his back to her and raising his arms.

"Uggghh . . . let's get into sky . . . out of rain!" EVE said, dumping the rainwater had partly filled the docking cradle for her head in the top of her torso.

"Sorry . . . no ummbrella," WALL•E apologized. "Rrememberr next time . . . forr youu."

"WALL•E . . ." EVE said, once again thoroughly charmed by his thoughtfulness, as she also recalled her security camera images of him trying to keep her dry with several umbrellas once before.

With perhaps the first real joy she had experienced all day, EVE happily picked up WALL•E, and, gripping him snugly against her, they took off into the nighttime sky, punching through the clouds and above the rain.

"Wow . . . space," WALL•E admired as he cubed up for flight with EVE.

"Not quite," she replied, amused. "Accelerating," she now warned.

_*Boom!* _they went, as they broke the sonic barrier together.

By now in their time together, both WALL•E and EVE had learned that they really couldn't talk to each other much during supersonic flight in Earth's atmosphere. So EVE just called up the map and her flight indicators onto her visor, and switched on her night vision, which turned her eye forms from blue to a dim red. She then contented herself with tracking their progress, while still enjoying her first nighttime flight on Earth with WALL•E. They were on a mission, and in something of a hurry, so EVE refrained from her usual aerobatics this time.

WALL•E for his part had time to think, as he just could not see much on the moonless night, other than the stars above and around them. _Married . . ._ he thought to himself. _Parents . . ._ he thought as well. WALL•E was still getting used to his own reintegration of what had for a while been his two separate consciousnesses. Life with EVE was presenting a myriad of changes for his original consciousness as well, but for the most part, they were feeling good to him.

Before long, he felt EVE start to decelerate and drop in altitude. Once they were below supersonic speed, she briefed WALL•E on her plan.

"Comm linked with Typing-bot in flight more," she said to him. "Since EVE 2 so far away, we presume she fearful. You, me approach building from opposite side. Try set down on her floor. Then search carefully . . . me in lead, you stay back, quiet. I locate EVE 2 and talk. Then we find WALL•E 2, and return home. Okay?"

"Okayy," WALL•E agreed.

"Quiet now," she urged, " . . . approaching building."

Silently and fairly slowly, they approached a dark tower that started to blot out the stars in front of them as they got closer. EVE wanted to scan for an open window on the correct floor, but she realized WALL•E was in front of her scanning emitter.

_Open comm link . . . Typing-bot, mute speaker, internal conversation only,_ she instructed her systems.

_Typing-bot here,_ she heard inside consciousness alone.

_Report relative position, EVE 2 versus me,_ she silently thought to the comm link.

_EVE 2 is on far side of building, on 11th floor,_ Typing-bot reported. _She has not moved in some time. May be dormant. Suggest you keep this link open._

_Will do . . ._ EVE confirmed slowed with WALL•E in her fins to almost a stop, as she checked each window for an opening. _No openings on 11th floor, this side,_ she reported.

"WALL•E," she whispered quietly. "Set you on roof, while I scan for opening."

He didn't like the idea of them separating again. But as his processors were unable to come up with a better alternative, he chose to say nothing this time.

EVE flew WALL•E up to the building's roof, and set him down on it as quietly as possible.

The roof's aged asphalt covering crunched under WALL•E's now extended treads. Suddenly part of it buckled, causing WALL•E's left tread and wheels to fall into a newly-created hole. Debris from the hole now fell loudly on the floor below, but WALL•E didn't make a sound.

EVE quietly groaned, fearing EVE 2 might have now been alerted to their presence. WALL•E quietly engaged his treads, as his left tread pulled itself out of the hole. He soon was on a more stable part of the roof, but still partly held up by EVE.

"Okayy," he tried to quietly whisper back to her, turning his optics to face her. "Go," he then urged, knowing what she needed to do.

EVE gave him a final appreciative squeeze before she hovered back over the edge of the building's roof, and back down to the 11th floor. This time she moved back from the building, and scanned three full floors for an opening she could pass through without making a noise.

_Found opening, 10th floor,_ she silently reported on her comm link to Typing-bot, _proceeding inside._

EVE used her night vision and scans as she moved through a long derelict office to find a hallway, and then search for a stairway or elevator shaft she could use to get to the next floor up.

WALL•E just waited somewhat nervously, still up on the building's roof, trying to appreciate the stars.

EVE continued along the main hallway, scanning for anything appearing to be a stairway door or elevator door. Scanning a sign suspended from the ceiling above her, she recognized the word, 'STAIRS'. The stairway door creaked loudly as she tried to slowly open it. EVE automatically winced her eye forms.

_EVE 2 now moving,_ Typing-bot reported via the open comm link.

_Where?_ EVE asked through the link.

_Outside, up to roof,_ he responded.

_Oh no!_ EVE silently panicked. She now zoomed for the nearest office and out a window, smashing it loudly as she punched through it, before turning sharply and rocketing up to the roof.

"Gmoddle!" an electronic voice called out in the dark from the middle of the roof. _Identify! I have your accomplice. Surrender!_

_Directive 3, _EVE called out through beeps herself._ Disarm!_

_Irrelevant! He not my class, _the other EVE responded. _Surrender or I terminate him!_

EVE didn't want to use her newly given power, but felt she had no choice at the moment.

_Override, authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six. Disarm! _EVE ordered, not yet revealing herself from behind the roof's fire escape stair housing.

_Authorization not recognized, _EVE 2 responded._ Updates interrogative with ARV or Axiom not functional at this distance._

EVE realized that as EVE 2 didn't have a transponder as she did, this other EVE wasn't in touch with the _Axiom_ like she was.

_We are . . . family, _EVE then tried to reason with her counterpart _. . ._ _EVEs and WALL•Es. Remember wedding?_

_No . . . my class . . . destroyed in mine blasts!_ EVE 2 cried, now targeting the intruder talking to her. _WALL•E 2 and I . . . last ones. Safe here. Protect my WALL•E 2!_

_Not last EVE,_ EVE beeped while now emerging from behind the fire escape and revealing herself to EVE 2, grateful that she had programmed trigger delays in all the other EVEs as part of preparing them for her wedding. EVE then detected EVE 2 scanning her. EVE 2 was now locking onto her with her cannon's targeting laser, as EVE heard her counterpart's cannon powering up again.

_Directive 3, _EVE repeated, not having raised her own cannon at EVE 2 yet.

_Compliance . . ._ EVE 2 sighed, once her scanning sensors and Primary System had confirmed that EVE was of her own class. However, she resumed pointing her own cannon once again at WALL•E. EVE felt she was back to where they had started.

The rooftop fire escape door now opened.

"Eeev-Two" a WALL•E unit called out, wondering where his partner had gotten to.

EVE now opened her stasis chamber, allowing Light-bot 1 to emerge and briefly blind EVE 2 in her night vision mode, as EVE zoomed behind this other WALL•E, and proceeded to swiftly grab and now hold him at gunpoint.

_You harm my WALL•E,_ EVE beeped with determination as the WALL•E she was now holding began to quiver in fear _. . ._ _I harm yours. Truce. Disarm. Talk._

EVE 2 hesitated a moment as her processors quickly assessed the now changed situation, and resolved competing directives within her.

_Truce, _she finally agreed, as both EVEs retracted their weapons simultaneously.

EVE sighed with relief, grateful that she had learned what a 'bluff' was during her studies of English . . . and that EVE 2 hadn't called hers, as EVE could never have fired now on WALL•E 2.

_Here, you may have your WALL•E back, _EVE beeped, releasing WALL•E 2 as a show of good faith.

"No, Two," EVE 2 urged. "Stay. You know, roof not safe."

_We know that already, also,_ EVE assured in beeps. "WALL•E, stay. You safe now, too."

"Okayy . . ." he warbled back to her across the roof, nervously.

_Objective? What you want?_ EVE 2 now demanded through her own beeps.

_To help you and WALL•E 2 be safe,_ EVE assured. _To find new directives, new purpose . . ._ "and love," she finished in English.

_I have that,_ EVE 2 beeped back before she also switched languages, " . . . even love . . . with Two . . . here. Go away!"

EVE sighed. _You know who I am?_ she now beeped, playing what she thought might be her back-up bargaining position.

_EVE 1,_ EVE 2 replied. _You left us . . . to fend for ourselves._

_I apologize for that,_ EVE beeped. _I was in error._ _WALL•E and I now realize we should not have left you all as you were. _"Forgive us . . . please," she finished in English.

_Why?_ EVE 2 sharply beeped.

_It feels good . . ._ EVE replied.

EVE now approached EVE 2, extending an open right hand, along with her left fin.

_You left us . . ._ EVE 2 accused angrily, narrowing her eye forms.

_Yes, we did, _EVE readily confirmed. _How will hating us for that make you feel good?_

EVE 2 couldn't answer that.

_This will make you feel good, however,_ EVE gently beeped as she moved in to give EVE 2 a hug.

EVE 2 stared down vacantly as EVE embraced her. _Other EVEs . . . gone . . ._ she sadly beeped.

_No,_ EVE softly assured. _All are functioning, two others with us already. Help save EVE 3 though. She is in trouble._

_Others functioning? Help save EVE 3? _EVE 2 repeated in a somewhat stunned wonder.

"Yes," EVE confirmed, switching to English so WALL•E 2 could understand as well. "Then we all live together, safe . . . and happy."

"Safe? Happy?" EVE 2 queried again in English now as well.

"Two wannt this," WALL•E 2 chimed in. "Like being . . . with other WALL•Es . . . annd youu."

"Safer . . . than this building, right Two?" EVE 2 asked, beginning to agree with her partner.

"Yess," WALL•E 2 confirmed. "Please, Eeev-Two . . . forr mmee?"

"Okay," EVE 2 finally relented. "You help Two, I?" she now said to EVE.

"Yes," EVE affirmed, ". . . together."

"Together . . ." EVE 2 mused. "Feels good."

"Need to return . . . rescue EVE 3," EVE now noted to her.

"Ready go . . . lover?" EVE 2 asked as she hovered over to WALL•E 2.

"Yep!" WALL•E 2 answered to EVE 2 as he raised his arms, encouraging her to pick him up.

"Interesting," EVE quietly observed to her WALL•E, wondering where EVE 2 had picked up or synthesized that one word from, as she now hovered over behind him.

"Him raise arms, too," WALL•E likewise noted to EVE.

"Son . . . takes after father," EVE softly whispered to him as she picked WALL•E up herself.

"Awww . . ." WALL•E warbled.

EVE then felt a gentle banging against the side of her torso. She looked down only to see Lightbot 1 tapping himself against her, not wanting to be left behind.

"Sorry . . ." she apologized as she let WALL•E go for a moment, and opened up her stasis chamber, as Lightbot 1 gave her a few irritated beeps.

Once the small robot was safely inside her, EVE closed her chamber doors and once again picked up WALL•E.

"Can't rrememberr everrything . . ." he noted in her defense.

"Thanks . . . I think," EVE replied, a little uncertainly.

"Follow me!" she now encouraged to EVE 2 and WALL•E 2 as she launched off the building's roof with WALL•E firmly tucked within her fins.

"Go!" WALL•E 2 encouraged his EVE as they took off as well.

_One more,_ EVE sighed to herself as she looked ahead into the night sky.


	5. Chapter 5

_Comm link . . . Typing-bot,_ EVE instructed her systems once again, as she and WALL•E, along with EVE 2 and WALL•E 2, now approached the _Axiom _from the air.

_EVE, I see you are returning now,_ Typing-bot greeted her in reply.

_Yes,_ EVE confirmed. _EVE 2 and WALL•E 2 with us, under our guidance. Safe now, for everyone. Open Entry Port 1, have other EVEs and WALL•Es meet us near there, and have Steward-bots guide us to EVE 3. She is last one we have to convince._

_She has just awakened from a dormancy cycle, _Typing bot responded as he remotely began opening the _Axiom's_ entry ports again._ She is once again firing in her cell. Shields appear to be holding for the moment, but they are weakening. I may have to use EMP charges soon if you cannot reason with her._

_Understood, _EVE confirmed. _Please provide data on Detention Section, as well as on EMP devices and placements,_ she requested as she opened a wireless data link as well.

_Transfer complete,_ Typing-bot confirmed. _You have full knowledge now. EVE 3 is beginning to significantly weaken the shields around her however. Shield generators are beginning to overheat. Good luck._

_Thank you. EVE out,_ she beeped.

Hovering down to the top of Stairway 1 with WALL•E and the Twos, they were met by escorting Steward-bots. _Take us to Detention Section,_ EVE now instructed the Steward-bots.

At a nearby corridor junction inside the _Axiom_, the other functioning EVEs and WALL•Es, led by their own escorting Steward-bots, along with M-O . . . this time free of his transport, met up with EVE and her group.

_WALL•E 5, mostly repaired,_ EVE 5 beeped, reporting to EVE. _But WALL•E 3 beyond recovery. Main boards, processors shattered._

"Understood," EVE replied sadly in English as she now looked down. "WALL•E," she translated, turning to him, " . . . WALL•E 3 gone."

WALL•E just hugged her, also saddened over the loss of one of their kind, even though they barely had gotten to know him, and what he had become during his brief life in their absence.

"Hard news . . . for EVE 3," she said to WALL•E as she hugged him.

"You . . . do good," he assured her.

_EVE,_ Typing-bot called to her, via a new comm link. _Shields are weakening around EVE 3 in Detention. You must stop her soon, or I will have to detonate EMP charges, which will also damage Axiom._

_Understood,_ EVE replied in beeps via the comm link. _On our way. EVE out._

_Steward-bots, lead us to Detention Section,_ she now instructed them.

As they approached the section, their group could hear, even feel ion cannon blasts emanating from ahead of them.

The Steward-bots automatically armed their stasis beam emitters as the doors to the Detention Section opened ahead of everyone. Inside the open doors now, EVE could see a line of mines laid on the floor, with a blinking light on top of each one.

"Careful . . . EMP devices," she noted to the group, pointing at them. "WALL•Es, Steward-bots, stay here . . . do not cross."

_EVE probes,_ she beeped, now addressing them in a mission leader mode. _Proceed with me. Cross over EMP devices, with 40 centimetres minimum vertical clearance. Any closer, and charges will be set off. At such close proximity, you would be terminated, and likely the rest of us as well. Understood?_

_Understood,_ the other EVEs confirmed, laying aside their new sensations of feelings for the moment, and going into full duty mode themselves.

EVE led the other EVEs into the Detention Section now as a worried WALL•E and his brethren watched from beyond the doorway. Some of the EMP charges started humming a little as a couple of the EVEs passed close over them.

_Watch charges. Higher!_ EVE beeped sharply to the other EVEs behind her.

The other EVEs immediately increased their elevations above the floor, but without fear or concern for their own safety though.

_Comm link . . . Typing-bot,_ EVE instructed her systems.

_Typing-bot here,_ he replied on the link.

_Other EVEs and I are inside Detention Section, _EVE reported._ Close and seal doors to this section._

"Nooo!" WALL•E now yelled to EVE as he saw the doors being closed in front of him.

"Trust me!" EVE yelled, turning back to assure him. "Love you!"

"Love you . . . too," WALL•E sighed, reluctantly accepting her decision and assurance as the doors closed in front of him. He now motored over to a nearby comm panel though, and reached up and tapped it.

"Showw picturre . . . Detenntion!" he asked, almost demanded.

Typing-bot heard him, and caused a small holoscreen to appear above the comm panel, showing a security camera image of EVE and the other EVEs making their way to the cell EVE 3 was blasting away in.

"WALL•E . . . seeing," his voice now echoed through the Detention Section.

EVE now smiled momentarily with her eye forms, as she waved to a nearby security camera. "Glad you with me!" she said, before returning her focus to the challenge at hand.

_Line up across, behind me. Block any escape attempt by EVE 3,_ she instructed the other EVEs. _Although I hereby cancel Directive 3 within the rest of you now . . . authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six,_ she directed, before continuing _. . . do not fire on EVE 3 unless necessary. But do not let her get past you. If she does get past you, detonate EMP charges, even if you have to fire at them yourselves. This is an Alpha Priority Directive._

_Understood. New Alpha Priority Directive accepted, _the other EVEs confirmed together.

_I going in, _EVE beeped as she now turned towards EVE 3's cell and the ion blasts emanating from within.

_EVE 3, _EVE now beeped as she hit a button, opening an outer cell door, and going through into the front portion the cell . . ._ cease fire!_

EVE 3 was blasting away at the various walls of her cell, even towards the front shield that separated her from EVE.

"Cease fire!" EVE now commanded in English.

_No!_ EVE 3 beeped defiantly. _You have no directive authority over me!_

_Typing-bot,_ EVE instructed through her comm link. _Close outer cell door, then deactivate front shield, allow me to pass through . . . then reactivate shield behind me._

_Understood, _Typing-bot replied, as the outer cell door now closed behind EVE.

_Shield deactivated,_ Typing-bot confirmed in beeps via her comm link.

EVE passed into EVE 3's portion of the cell.

_Shield reactivated,_ Typing-bot now reported via the link.

EVE 3 now aimed her ion cannon at EVE. _You have no directive authority over me!_ she repeated.

_Yes, I do,_ EVE calmly responded, refraining from raising her own cannon back at her. _Directive 3 . . . comply. Disarm now._

EVE 3's ion cannon lowered and retracted as her head dropped. _Compliance_ _. . . _she reluctantly beeped.

_You are confused, fearful, angry,_ EVE observed. _You have no purpose, no directive, right now. I can provide you with guidance, new directives. I can help you . . . to feel safe, to feel . . . good._

_No, _EVE 3 softly replied._ No one help me. Others try to terminate me . . . hate me._

_I do not hate you, _EVE tried to reassure her. _Let me help you . . . protect you . . . guide you._ "Love," she now added in English.

_What is that?_ EVE 3 asked, surprised at hearing that unfamiliar term.

_It is what WALL•E and I demonstrated at our wedding you attended. Let me show you,_ EVE invited, extending a fin and an open hand towards her.

_Others . . . will not hate me . . . not hurt me?_ EVE 3 asked tentatively.

_You will be safe with me, _EVE replied._ I will protect you, care for you, along with the other EVEs and WALL•Es._

_I was separated from my partner, WALL•E 3, _EVE 3 noted._ I failed my directive to protect him. Is WALL•E 3 safe?_

_No, _EVE admitted._ WALL•E 3 is terminated. I . . . am sorry. His essence cannot be recovered._

_Terminated . . . _EVE 3 beeped softly, now looking down in sadness. _You reprogrammed me. You gave me these . . . awarenesses . . . sensations. Help me . . . _she now asked, beginning to cry.

EVE now approached EVE 3 with her fins extended, and took her into an embrace.

_I know . . . I help you now,_ EVE promised as she held EVE 3.

_Thank you,_ EVE 3 replied gratefully, feeling safe, and strangely good, for the first time she could remember — despite her now growing grief at WALL•E 3's loss.

"It's over," EVE assured everyone in English, so WALL•E could understand, too. "We're safe . . . all safe now." _Typing-bot,_ she said, switching to _Axiom _on her comm link, _deactivate shields, disarm EMP charges, open doors to this section. EVE probes, _she added,_ discontinue Alpha Priority Directive, authorization EVE Alpha One Delta Six._

_EVE,_ Typing-bot replied _. . . all is now as you have requested. Well done._ _The Captain wishes to speak with you._

_Patch me through, and translate, please,_ EVE instructed, as she ushered EVE 3 out of the cell with her fin still reassuringly around her.

"EVE," she now heard the Captain say as she approached the exit doors and WALL•E again.

"All is safe, Captain," EVE's translated beeps reported. "All EVEs and WALL•Es are now under our guidance."

"Congratulations! I am proud of you and WALL•E. But what will you do next? And can we trust these other EVEs and WALL•Es now?"

"I promise that everyone will be safe around us," her translated voice assured, as she looked at WALL•E, her fin still around EVE 3, and the other EVEs and WALL•Es started to gather around them. "But give us a chance to work with these WALL•Es and EVEs more first. For now though . . . we are going home, to WALL•E's . . . to our . . . truck," she corrected herself, " . . . after we make a stop at the Engineering Lab."

"Very well," McCrea replied. "I will leave it to you for now. Let me know how things go . . . but I will sleep well for the rest of the night now. Thank you again, EVE. McCrea out."

WALL•E just silently moved forward to embrace EVE as she gave out a sigh of relief, relaxing from mission mode herself now, and almost crying as she closed her eye forms and embraced him back, as the other EVEs and WALL•Es looked at them.

"You did," WALL•E warmly assured her. "WALL•E proud . . . Eev-aah. Love you . . . deeply."

"We did," she corrected him with tearful eye forms. "Love you, too . . . so much."

"Let's go," EVE then invited him and the others in English as she straightened herself up, before switching to _Axiom_. _We have one more of us to pick up, _she beeped, _and one of us to remember._

— — — — —

They arrived in the Engineering Lab, to find WALL•E 5 fully recovered, but looking down sadly and resting a hand on the battered cube of WALL•E 3.

_EVE 5,_ EVE encouraged _. . . your partner needs you. EVE 3 . . ._ she was about to begin, inviting EVE 3 to be next to her.

_. . . My partner needs me also,_ EVE 3 noted to EVE's surprise, now flying off with EVE 5 to be next to their WALL•Es.

_Computer,_ EVE beeped _. . . translate me to English, on speakers._

"Everyone," EVE's translated beeps now echoed around the lab. "I want to thank each and every one of you for helping WALL•E and I to save all of us . . . except one."

EVE lowered her head in sadness, as WALL•E put an understanding arm around her.

"That this tragedy happened," EVE continued, " . . . that we lost WALL•E 3 . . . is my fault. EVE 2, you were right . . . I left you, I left you all . . . unprepared."

"No," EVE 2's translated voice now interjected. "I was in error. You gave us the greatest gift, right here . . ." she demonstrated, now holding up her hand, clasped in that of her partner, WALL•E 2. "You have already taught us, and given us an awareness . . . and a life . . . that no other robots on this ship, or in this community have. We simply became lost. But you came, searched, and found us. You found us all . . . Mother and Father . . . and made us safe."

EVE's eye forms now gently smiled, as she shook her head in wonder. WALL•E gave her a good, affirming squeeze with his arm as he looked at her.

"You even instructed WALL•E 3 to care for me . . . enough to save me," EVE 3's translated voice now added, as she hovered next to her partner's battered form with a fin around him as well. "He pushed me out of the way . . . as one mine landed next to us. He moved on top of it . . . as it exploded. As my visor and systems faded out from the blast, I saw him flying through the air . . . impacting against the _Axiom_, before he fell into the well under it. No programming could have instructed him to care for me like that . . . you did . . . Mother and Father."

EVE 3 openly wept though on his form now, "Three . . . WALL•E 3 . . ." she said using her own voice.

"Daughter," EVE said, also in her own voice, as she moved to be beside EVE 3 as she cried over her partner's battered cube.

"I have been where you now are," EVE's translated beeps said as she laid an understanding fin on her. "I lost your . . . father . . . for a time, in two different ways. You are doing better than I was at this point, however . . . much better. I am proud of you."

"I wish we could bring back the WALL•E 3 that saved you," EVE's translated beeps now continued, ". . . but we cannot. We can however, give him a whole new life, even in the same form, if you like. It will be your choice, though. I, and all the rest of us, however, will be with you. We will be right beside you."

"I do not know if I want him simply replaced," EVE 3's translated beeps replied as she gently cried, ". . . in our group . . . our family, or in my life."

"EVE 3," Typing-bot interjected through translated beeps now as well. "I have attempted again to reassemble and scan your partner's chips and boards, while others were saving you. We can save some of him. It is less than 20 percent, however. He will likely not remember much at all about you, but his interest in the music you both were listening to . . . that, and a few other things, I can recover."

"Hendrix," EVE 3 explained to EVE, also in translated beeps, ". . . from Twentieth Century Earth. WALL•E 3 found the music structures . . . intriguing."

"You choose," EVE encouraged her newfound daughter with her own voice in English.

"Not tonight," EVE 3 decided, also using her own voice in English. "Tonight . . . we remember . . . him."

"Good," EVE assured, as she returned to her own WALL•E's side.

"WALL•E . . . anything?" EVE asked him.

"Homme . . ." he suggested.

_Computer, discontinue translation and speakers,_ EVE directed, waiting for . . . "Computer, discontinue trans–" as it carried out her instructions.

_EVE 3,_ EVE now beeped _. . . bring WALL•E 3 with us, or not?_

EVE 3 now herself beeped to the Lab, _Please, give me remains of WALL•E 3's essence, so long as all surviving data has been saved._

_It has,_ Typing-bot assured as WALL•E 3's shattered motherboard and other circuit boards and chips now arose on a flat panel from within the table.

Looking at these pieces, EVE 3 now opened her stasis chamber and reverently wrapped them in a field. She then gently took them inside of her.

_His essence . . . in me tonight,_ she beeped back to EVE. "Preserve his cube here . . . please," EVE 3 then requested to Typing-bot.

_It will be done, _Typing-bot assured.

"Home . . . family?" EVE then asked everyone.

"Home!" they all assured together.

WALL•E then turned and raised his arms, waiting for EVE to pick him up, as the other EVEs picked up their WALL•Es as well. EVE 3 just placed her fins lovingly over her stasis chamber, as she hovered alongside the others, ready to go.

"Fit all family . . . inside truck?" EVE wondered aloud to WALL•E.

"It homme!" WALL•E assured as they all took off out of the lab.


	6. Chapter 6

While the trip home to the truck was peaceful, even perhaps slightly somber . . . getting all nine members of WALL•E and EVE's new family settled inside was anything but.

_EVE 4, put WALL•E 4 on shelf over there . . ._ EVE tried to direct after she had closed the ramp to their truck for the night.

_No room on this shelf! Objects already here!_ EVE 4 protested in reply.

_Then use that shelf,_ EVE pointed next.

_WALL•E 5 on that shelf!_ EVE 5 now beeped in objection.

_EVE 3 bumped my WALL•E!_ EVE 2 complained, now drawing her cannon against her sister probe.

_Give me consideration!_ EVE 3 replied as she turned around. _I lost WALL•E 3! _as she drew her own cannon in defense.

_No bump my WALL•E!_ EVE 2 maintained.

"Wherre my Eeev-Two?" WALL•E 2 now whined as his partner went to square off against EVE 3.

Emotionally exhausted from a day and night of reasoning with most all of what were now their children in turn, EVE could now only look at WALL•E with the saddest and most tired expression he had ever seen in her eye forms.

"STOP!" WALL•E now yelled. Everyone else in the truck froze upon hearing him use his voice so forcefully for the first time. He was practically quivering . . . not with fear this time, but in frustration.

"Herre, Eee-vaah . . ." he offered gently as he ushered her over to the shelves, and hit the button rotating the shelves until their shared shelf bed lowered into view. "Bed . . . rrest," he now invited her, graciously holding her fin as she now rotated sideways and hovered into her snug bed of boots.

"Rrest of youu . . . quiet!" he said forcefully again, turning to them. "Sleep anywherre! Do not disturrb my Eee-vaah!" he warned as he himself now cubed up and backed into the shelf spot he shared with EVE, pulling the light cords off the batteries with a hand as he went and plunging the truck into darkness.

The now-chastened EVEs and WALL•Es proceeded to retract into their sleep modes now where they were. EVEs 2 and 3 bumped each other as they entered sleep mode however, with EVE 2 again drawing her cannon.

"Eev-aah Two!" WALL•E warned from his shelf-bed, having not quite retracted his optics yet.

"Yes . . . Father," EVE 2 sighed as she holstered her cannon. WALL•E 2 now moved and cubed up again on the truck's floor . . . this time in between EVEs 2 and 3, just to keep them separated.

Then WALL•4 could be heard quivering next to his EVE 4 in the darkness.

Detecting the quivering noise, EVE sighed and started to levitate up from her boot bed on her shelf nearby.

"No . . ." WALL•E gently assured her, laying a hand on her to try and keep her in her bed. "WALL•E handle."

"Teach," EVE replied, looking up at him from her bed, " . . . together."

WALL•E couldn't disagree with her on that, and indicated so by reaching and reconnecting a few dim lights, as he moved out of their shelf bed and held a hand out for her.

"Carre for partner . . . like this," he said, as the others now looked at them.

"Why?" EVE 4 asked in English.

WALL•E looked down and shook his optics. "Pathetic," he softly said.

"WALL•E," EVE now cautioned. "Patience," she then softly advised to him, as she put her fins around him from one side, while turning her head to look at EVE 4.

"Where my focus?" EVE asked in English to everyone as her fins were around her WALL•E.

"On us," EVE 3 replied.

"Look again," EVE continued. "Where most of me oriented?" she clarified.

"To WALL•E," EVE 5 replied.

"Who is . . ." EVE coached.

"Your partnerr," WALL•E 2 now chimed in.

"Good!" EVE praised, continuing in English for the WALL•Es' sakes. "My partner's concerns . . . are mine. His fears . . . mine. His joy . . . mine. I choose them to be. I make him . . . my directive. Why? Because it is best directive I have known. I know completion, satisfaction now . . . with him."

"EVE 4, your WALL•E 4 scared," EVE now noted from where she was. "Soothe him. Why?" she then asked, anticipating EVE 4's question. "Helping him feel good make you feel good."

_I am already functioning well within normal parameters,_ EVE 4 beeped with some confusion. "I feel . . . fine," she added slowly as she searched for the corresponding words and term in English.

EVE sighed and looked down, now shaking her own head. "But your partner does not," she said, trying to control her own frustration. If she had been her old self, EVE would have blasted something by now.

EVE tried again. "Love . . . means," she began, trying to amass, process and distill a now vast amount of references and direct experience down into a simple form that she hoped any nascent consciousness could accept and utilize, " . . . that if partner feels bad . . . you feel bad also . . . regardless what self-diagnostics report. Look-up definition on 'Empathy' . . . and apply . . . if you choose," EVE qualified, " . . . if you want be like us."

EVE 4 then looked down as she accessed and processed the recommended term. She looked at WALL•E 4 next to her as he continued to quiver.

"Access and apply terms 'Fear' and 'Scared'," EVE continued. "That what WALL•E 4 feeling."

"I not feel these as sensations," EVE 4 replied. "But he does?"

"Yes," EVE confirmed. "Now access and apply terms 'Comfort' and 'Reassure'. Note how these sensations feel compared to other terms."

EVE 4 again processed these new terms.

"They feel better . . . don't they?" EVE noted.

"Yes," EVE 4 noted as she looked down, trying to assimilate it all.

_Processing will occur faster, as you develop new subroutines,_ EVE beeped in assurance to a still confused and searching EVE 4.

Then, tentatively, EVE 4 began gently laying a fin on WALL•E 4 as his optics turned and looked up at her.

"WALL•E 4," EVE then continued looking towards him, ". . . show EVE 4 your relief . . . that you feel better . . . maybe even gratitude, if you feel so."

Still quietly quivering, WALL•E 4 now turned and extended his arms around EVE 4, seeming to clutch her tightly, almost burying his optics against her.

"WALL•E 4 . . . traumatized," EVE diagnosed aloud. "Excuse . . ." she said to her own WALL•E, releasing him as she hovered among the other EVEs and WALL•Es to reach WALL•E 4 as EVE 4 continued to hold him with increasing concern in her own eye forms.

"What wrong, WALL•E 4?" EVE now asked as she drew near him, gently laying a fin on him as well.

"Eeev-Fourr blast . . . big things fall . . . not feel safe . . . scared . . ." he could only say amid his continued quivering.

"You safe . . . in our truck now," EVE assured, ". . . with us . . . with EVE 4 . . . your partner. She apologize. She keep you safe . . . right, EVE 4?"

"Y-Yes . . ." EVE 4 reluctantly replied, still somewhat uncertain as to how to handle it all.

EVE looked down and sighed for a moment. WALL•E, seeing her inner frustration, motored up next to her and put an understanding arm around her.

"WALL•E . . . why you come to Eee-vaah?" EVE asked, looking at him, and then silently darting her eye forms towards WALL•E 4 and EVE 4 on the other side of her, attempting to give a silent hint to him. "Why you care?"

"Eee-vaah sad," WALL•E responded. "Dirrective . . . mmake Eee-vaah happy. WALL•E comme . . . help Eee-vaah feel betterr."

"Why?" EVE asked.

WALL•E looked down and processed for a moment, realizing that EVE was trying to distill what love was for them, down to its most basic elements and reasons, for their children.

"Eee-vaah happy . . . WALL•E happy," he finally replied. "It feel good . . . best feeling! When Eeev-aah not happy . . . WALL•E not happy. Even when sad together . . . sharring feels good. WALL•E sharre Eee-vaah's feelings all time now . . . feels good."

"EVE 4, share WALL•E 4's fears," EVE now encouraged, turning to EVE 4. "Feel WALL•E 4's fear." _I am aware this is difficult for you to comprehend and apply, _she said now briefly switching to _Axiom_. "Feels uncomfortable . . . doesn't it?" EVE resumed in English.

"Y-Yes," EVE 4 again tentatively agreed.

"That similar to what WALL•E 4 feels," EVE amplified.

"It is?" EVE 4 cautiously said.

"Yes," EVE gently reassured.

"WALL•E 4 . . . you feel . . . uncertain?" EVE 4 now asked him.

"Y-Yess . . ." WALL•E 4 replied, now looking up at her.

"I scare you . . . ?" she asked, beginning to draw realizations of what she had been doing to him in recent days.

"Eeev-fourr scare me . . . beforre," he replied, ". . . but not noww."

A sudden sadness and regret now seemed to wash through EVE 4. "Sorry . . ." she said, almost whispering as her eye forms became tearful and she leaned over and now embraced WALL•E 4 tightly, not quite knowing why . . . but wanting to anyway.

"WALL•E 4," EVE now encouraged to him as well, ". . . share EVE 4's uncertainty. She feeling regret now. Assure her you forgive . . . that everything alright."

"Eeev-four . . ." WALL•E 4 said, now feeling bad that she was feeling bad, " . . . it okayy . . . mmee okayy . . . youu okayy, too."

EVE 4 moved back slightly within their embrace. "Confused . . ." she simply said.

"It okayy . . ." WALL•E 4 assured again, his trembling having ceased as he found his consciousness and processing no longer focused on himself, but on his EVE.

EVE 4 now almost giggled a little amid her tears as she looked at WALL•E 4. Something was now feeling different, even warming, within her.

"Good," EVE encouraged, still watching them both with WALL•E beside her and noting each of their reactions now. "Very good . . . both of you. Understand . . . each other. Feel better . . . together. Choose as directive. Choose each other as directive."

_This not Alpha Priority directive?_ EVE 4 beeped.

"This your choice," EVE replied in English. "EVE not force, not order. Choices . . . making ones good for others and yourself . . . is at core of sentience . . . being self-aware, and self-governing . . . what WALL•E and I are . . . what we help you to become."

"Care . . . please care," EVE asked the two Fours, as she looked down again, exhausted from the intense processing she was doing in caring and explaining so much.

"Eee-vaah . . . rest," WALL•E urged as he began trying to usher her back to bed.

Still looking down, EVE did not resist this time as he led her off towards their shelf bed.

"Everryone . . . carre . . . rrest . . . please," WALL•E asked as he led EVE back through the other WALL•Es and EVEs.

"Who I care for?" EVE 3 asked.

"Eee-vaah 3 . . . comme herre . . . please," WALL•E gently requested, as he helped his EVE back into her snug bed of boots.

"Pushh top button . . . therre," he gestured after he had settled next to EVE on the shelf.

EVE 3 pushed the button next to the shelf as requested. WALL•E and EVE's shelf began to rise off the truck's floor.

"Stop . . ." WALL•E gently said.

EVE 3 let go of the button.

WALL•E now held out his free hand towards EVE 3 while laying his other hand on EVE, who was already retracting into dormancy.

"Carre for uss," he suggested. "It take much . . . to carre for all you."

EVE 3 now took WALL•E's hand. "Understood . . ." she confirmed softly. "Lights?" she then asked, wondering if WALL•E wanted the lights off again.

"Leavve on," WALL•E suggested. "Reassure . . . WALL•E 4." He then cubed up, leaving a hand extended though, for each EVE.

The other EVEs and WALL•Es then also retracted into dormancy.

"Sorry," EVE 3 apologized as she retracted.

"Eee-vaah 3 good," WALL•E assured from within his cube as he faded to sleep. "You all . . . good."

Finally, there was peace in the truck.

— — — — —

Later in the morning, the sound of beeping began resonating through the truck.

Some of the WALL•Es just automatically opened their solar flaps right where they were cubed. Others tried to grope for an exit towards the outside. Soon a couple of crashes stirred EVE, finishing the job of waking her up that the collective low charge beepings of the WALL•Es had started.

EVE just sighed as she looked up at WALL•E with sad eye forms again.

"WALL•E love Eee-vaah," he assured with some gentle pats on her side before she could even say a thing.

"WALL•E . . . thank you . . . Eee-vaah love WALL•E," she replied in almost tearful gratitude reaching up for him.

Then they heard another crash . . . followed by an "Owww!" . . . followed by the sound of ion cannons being unsheathed and charged once again.

"Stop!" EVE directed this time.

Without remembering their shelf had been elevated last night, WALL•E automatically turned to leave the shelf and help EVE out of her bed . . . only to tip over and crash to the floor of the truck himself, pushing EVE 3 into WALL•E 5, shattering one of his extended solar flaps.

"WALL•E!" EVE first almost screamed with concern, as the pandemonium around them started to resume.

She then zoomed out of her boot bed to assist her WALL•E, bumping into EVE 5 trying to assist her own WALL•E 5 . . . who then not only shattered WALL•E 5's other flap, but also bumped EVE 2 and WALL•E 2 into another shelf, making the pandemonium worse. Beeps, warblings, crashings, and even cannons, were now breaking out all over the place.

"THAT'S IT!" EVE suddenly screamed in frustration, unsheathing her own cannon and blasting a fresh, and large, hole in the roof of their truck.

That froze everyone.

"Arrrrrrrgggghhhh!" EVE now groaned, both realizing what she'd just done and seeming to be at her wits' end, with her cannon still aimed at the hole she'd just blasted. She wanted to just zoom out through that hole and fly away for a while. But she detected WALL•E grabbing her left fin, and she looked down at him as he was still laying front down on the floor, with his left optic now shattered, looking back at her from where he was.

"Eee-vaah stop," WALL•E gently asked. "Everyone stop."

EVE retracted her own cannon, as all the other EVEs did with theirs now as well. She then reached down and righted her own WALL•E. Despite his injuries, WALL•E reached and took EVE into his embrace.

"It okayy," he assured her, " . . . it okayy."

All of the WALL•Es low charge alarms were still beeping though, even now on WALL•E himself.

"Alright, organize," EVE now softly directed, focusing herself again and realizing the WALL•Es had to get recharged. "EVE 4 . . . E-4," she began to say, beginning to recognize that abbreviated designations would help her process and communicate instructions faster, ". . . open ramp, take W-4 . . . no, Four, outside for recharge. E-2 take Two outside as well . . . follow Fours. E-5 . . . get panels for Five from shelf over there. E-3, get tools bucket next to you."

EVE began emitting a sigh of relief as the various members of their new family now went about their assigned tasks. Despite moaning in some pain from his shattered left optic, WALL•E continued to look at EVE, and give her a hug.

"Eee-vaah good," he reassured with a couple of gentle pats. "See? We do it . . . togetherr."

EVE just embraced him back tightly, with tears in her eye forms.

EVEs 3 and 5, and even WALL•E 5, looked at EVE and WALL•E as they hugged each other tightly. Even though EVE 3 and the two Fives didn't know what stress was, they could detect something was not quite right with EVE and WALL•E . . . they suddenly seemed low on energy, even malfunctioning in some way. The three 'children' now gathered around WALL•E and EVE, extending a shared embrace to them as well, in the way EVE had taught each of them in turn.

EVE and WALL•E now looked up from their own embrace upon detecting the shared embrace around them from the others.

_All is correct,_ EVE 3 beeped in assurance before switching languages and saying. "It is good. We care . . . about you."

EVE just closed her eye forms for a moment as she continued to hold WALL•E tightly. Her quest to bring WALL•E back had tested her . . . pushed her to her very limits. Now she felt like she was being tested all over again, in a different way.

Before she knew what she was saying, she found herself just confessing to WALL•E, "Do not know . . . if I can do this."

WALL•E moved just his optics back as his one remaining functional optic refocused and looked at her. He found himself agreeing with her. "Youu cann't," he said. "Youu should not," he added as he continued to hold her closely as he moved his optics right against her visor. "We do," he emphasized. "We do. Youu nott do alonne . . . not thiss timme."

His one functional optic saw her eye form reopening right in front of it . . . looking right into him, and blinking once.

"Promise?" she asked softly, with the eye form he was seeing seeming to add an earnestness, almost a hollow and gaunt pleading to her question.

"Promise," he readily assured. "Promise."

EVE wanted to remain within WALL•E's warm, assuring voice and words . . . within a world with just him that she felt she had earned from all she had done to win him back not long ago, amid an almost overwhelming struggle and against incredible odds. But her tactile sensors now reminded her that she was not alone with WALL•E . . . that there were two other EVEs and one other WALL•E around them, waiting for further instructions . . . for guidance.

EVE began steeling herself to resume what she knew were now the responsibilities of raising a family. She found her duty subroutines were once again kicking in, as references on everything from parenting to psychology to robotic programming were streaming into her consciousness.

"Eeev-aah . . ." she now detected WALL•E saying, realizing she was staring down vacantly at the top of his cube.

"Sorry . . ." she apologized. "Processing parental and other references," she explained.

"Eeev-aah . . . just be . . . with mmee, with uss," WALL•E requested. "Be sloww . . . no think . . . let others do, think."

"That is what did before . . . in space," she reminded him, with a calmer but somewhat sad demeanor now.

WALL•E sighed as he looked down, now holding her loosely. He didn't have a counter to that point. He realized EVE was right.

"Youu not do everything," he decided however. "WALL•E fixx self . . . have done long time."

"No . . ." EVE gently countered as WALL•E began turning his optic to look for a replacement optic amid the shelves. She laid a fin on one side of his optics, and he returned them to focus once again on her before she could apply even the slightest pressure with her fin. "EVE fix WALL•E," she added.

"WALL•E fixx Eeev-aah," he then countered.

"Nothing wrong," she then noted to him.

WALL•E just looked openly at her with his one good optic, still embracing her but saying nothing.

"Okay," she invited, wondering what he saw in her that needed repair. "Fix Eeev-aah."

WALL•E raised and placed a hand on top of her head, applying a little pressure. Looking at him with curious, even skeptical eye forms, EVE proceeded to retract her head onto her torso, keeping her eye forms open however. WALL•E then raised himself up somewhat on his treads, and then embraced EVE more tightly again, extending and placing his optics on top of her head as he gave her the kind of sheltering, nurturing embrace he had come to experience at times from her.

"It all okayy . . ." he assured. "WALL•E not let it be otherwise."

"Okay . . ." she replied, still not quite accepting this unusual position for her between them.

"Sigh . . . deep . . ." he then instructed.

EVE involuntarily giggled a little as she also took a deep, slow, electronic sigh, relaxing her eye forms.

"See?" WALL•E added. "It all okayy."

"Okay . . ." EVE gently echoed as she finally began to let herself truly relax in his embrace, before her systems reminded her that there were things that needed attending to. "You and Five still beeping," she noted from within their shared embrace. "Let's get you WALL•Es fixed, and recharged."

"Only if Eeev-aah ready," WALL•E cautioned as EVE emerged from his embrace.

"EVE ready," she calmly assured as she emerged from their embrace and began to remove WALL•E's damaged optic before he could object, delay, or embrace her again.

Meanwhile, EVE 3 was already passing the tool bucket to EVE 5 to repair her WALL•E with.

Having just removed and disconnected WALL•E's damaged optic, EVE was surprised to now see EVE 3 also presenting her with a fresh optic for him, as she offered to take his damaged optic out of the way with her other fin, without being asked.

"Help care for you," EVE 3 explained to EVE, " . . . as Father requested, last night."

"Thank you," EVE said, as WALL•E looked with his remaining optic toward what was happening between EVE and EVE 3. "Very good, EVE 3," she added in affirming praise. "Very good."

WALL•E also gave an encouraging pat on the side to EVE 3, as her eye forms changed into happy crescents of satisfaction.

"You right," EVE 3 said. "Feels good."

"Yes, it does," EVE confirmed with happiness now in her own eye forms as she briefly embraced her daughter with one fin.

"Sorry we trouble," EVE 3 then apologized to her mother.

That stopped EVE for a moment as she glanced at WALL•E. He embraced her again with one arm as she looked back at EVE 3.

"You worth it," EVE decided aloud. "This family worth it."

"Youu worrth it, too," WALL•E added. "We be good . . . for Eeev-aah . . . rright family?"

"Yes, Father," EVEs 3 and 5, and WALL•E 5 all concurred.

"Hold still," EVE then instructed WALL•E, as he returned his 'head' or optics unit to an orientation that would better enable EVE to work on him. EVE 3 just silently watched as EVE connected and installed WALL•E's new optic, and it began whirring into focus.

Meanwhile, EVE 5 was fumbling with a wrench, trying to undo a screw as she attempted to remove the first of WALL•E 5's broken solar flaps.

_Here,_ EVE offered, switching to _Axiom_ and picking up a Phillips screwdriver out of the tool bucket between them. _Use correct tool, in this case a screwdriver. Make sure screwdriver head matches screw. Watch, I do first panel . . . then you do other panel._

EVE 5 put the wrench back in the tool bucket as she watched EVE begin easily undoing the first of the screws securing the broken flap on WALL•E 5.

"Hold screws, please," EVE asked, passing her the first screw as she removed it. EVE then proceeded to quickly remove the other hinge screw, carefully passing it into EVE 5's open hand. Unplugging the broken flap's electrical connection, she then removed the flap, laying it aside as EVE 5 passed EVE a new flap with her free hand.

"How many flaps we have left?" EVE asked EVE 5, as EVE continued to work on WALL•E 5.

"Three left," EVE 5 noted, looking where the spare WALL•E flaps were stored.

"Need to find more . . ." EVE noted as she slid the new panel into place, securing its electrical connection first. Then barely glancing at the screws still lying in EVE 5's hand, EVE proceeded to pick each one up in turn, then smoothly and swiftly screwing each one back into place on WALL•E 5.

_There,_ EVE beeped with satisfaction. _Your turn. Repeat sequence with other broken flap,_ she now encouraged EVE 5.

Following what she had seen EVE do, EVE 5 took hold of the screw driver and proceeded to repeat the steps in replacing WALL•E 5's other broken flap with robotic precision, as EVE now held out her hand to hold the screws.

Within a moment, both flaps were now retracting into their stowed position on WALL•E 5. But he was still beeping for a recharge.

_Take him outside for recharge,_ EVE invited EVE 5. _WALL•E 5 will need repairs at times. They are little different from this however. You should be able to care for him well now, but learn WALL•E Class specifications and manuals on the computer console over there in truck, _she pointed,_ at some point._

_Will WALL•E 5 be repairing me?_ EVE 5 beeped as she picked up her WALL•E.

_No,_ EVE replied with a slight giggle. _We are almost indestructible . . . except for our visors, _she noted, briefly touching her visor with a fin and recalling the terrible day when it had been accidentally fractured by one of WALL•E's flailing arms._ What he will do for you, _she resumed beeping,_ will be to maintain and care for your consciousness . . . the essence inside you that makes you who you are. That is equally vital to sentient beings like us. He will calm and soothe you, as you see my WALL•E doing for me . . . let him._

"Thank you . . . Mother," EVE 5 replied in English as she now lifted her WALL•E and carried him outside to recharge him.

"EVE 3, thank you for helping," EVE now said in English, as things like gratitude were not expressed easily in a command language like _Axiom_.

"You . . . are welcome," EVE 3 struggled as she accessed and learned the appropriate response from her reference data files.

"Very good, E-3," EVE praised. _Are you functioning satisfactorily however?_ she then asked in _Axiom_, noting EVE 3's somewhat downcast demeanor.

_Learning how to maintain WALL•Es,_ she beeped _. . . without a WALL•E to maintain._

_Ready to bring a partner to life?_ EVE asked _. . . With some of your former partner's essence?_

"No . . . not yet," EVE 3 replied.

"Why?" EVE asked, laying a fin in concern on her.

_My actions terminated WALL•E 3,_ she responded, looking down. _Do not want that occurring again._

EVE extended her fin supportively around EVE 3.

"Forgive . . . yourself," EVE suggested. "Three would."

EVE 3 just sadly shook her head.

"I made mistakes . . . hurt my WALL•E, too," EVE tried to counsel her. "WALL•E forgive . . . right WALL•E?"

"Yess," WALL•E readily agreed. "WALL•E forrgive Eev-aah . . . WALL•Es forrgive Eev-aahs."

"Three savve you . . . he not blame," EVE added.

EVE 3 looked down again though. She just could not forgive herself for what had happened.

They then both once again heard WALL•E's 'low charge' beeping.

"Come with us, Daughter," EVE said in English. "WALL•E . . . ramp. Recharge . . . with others," she then suggested to her waiting WALL•E as the three of them now moved towards the truck's open ramp together.

They now joined the rest of the family on the truck's open ramp as the WALL•Es all recharged. EVE 3 opened her chamber and levitated the pieces of WALL•E 3's essence out into the sunshine. It was the closest action she could devise to allowing him a 'recharge' as well. She looked at the pieces of him as they floated in the sunshine, still within her stasis field.

EVE held her WALL•E from behind as he charged. But she looked over at EVE 3 with some concern, as she saw her almost just vacantly looking down at the shattered pieces of WALL•E 3's processors floating in front of her. EVE 3 now detected EVE looking at her, and looked back.

_Functioning . . . nominally,_ EVE 3 beeped, trying to assure EVE that she was alright—not good, but within acceptable parameters.

EVE extended a fin and hand for EVE 3. E-3 took EVE's hand in hers, and then proceeded to look back down at the pieces of her own WALL•E.

EVE wanted to make things good again for her newly-adopted daughter . . . but she didn't know how.

* * *

_Author's Note(s)_

_01 October 2011 Update_

_This poor WALL•E story has patiently waited while I've been working on another story here, and developing an original screenplay and book project . . . so that I can afford to keep writing stories like this. I have been working on further developing this story at times, and new chapters will come, but it may be a while longer.  
_

_My apologies for the diversions and delays,_

_— Norwesterner_


End file.
